The Secret Life of a Call Boy
by slaygirl190
Summary: SLASH. AU. The first thing you should know about me is that I'm a whore...
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I am the owner of a single share of WWE stock which pretty much only guarantees me yet another underperforming investment in my portfolio. Punk, please get your act together and make good on my investment!_

**The Secret Life of a Call Boy**

The first thing you should know about me is that I'm a whore. Escort, hooker, prostitute, whore; it doesn't matter what you call me, it's just semantics and you should know that this is very far removed from the plan I had for my life. In another lifetime I used to be called Punk but that was before my unwilling need to change professions. Now I go by Phil. While most prostitutes go by fake names, I had never really been called by my first name in my life so it seemed fitting that I would be using it now.

I had always wanted to be a professional wrestler. It was the only ambition I ever had. I was wrestling in IWA Mid-South and was beginning to get bookings in Ring of Honor until one day when everything went so very wrong. It was a match like any other, a leap to the top rope like I had done so many times before except this time I slipped, somersaulting backwards, slamming my knee onto the steel steps. I tore my MCL, ACL and shattered my patella. I would be able to recover from even a combination of two of these injuries but all three and it spelled the end of my wrestling career.

I was devastated to have my dream ripped away, lost without any plan for my future. I lived a nomadic existence, drifting from one crummy job to another. What I had dreamed of most was to end up in the WWE, the epicenter of pro wrestling in America. Once I had attained one of those hard won roster spots I was sure that with my talent in the ring and on the microphone I would be able to make the most of the spot I had earned. To even have a chance to be called up to the WWE my reputation needed to be spotless. Besides some teenage shenanigans and a tendency to be a little self-centered there was nothing other than my skills to judge me on. If they knew the truth, that I was gay, it would have reduced my chances to zero. The only freedom my injury had granted me was the one to own my sexuality. Now I could date a man, hold his hand in public without fear of repercussions. The funny thing was that I was doing none of those things. Just as I never stayed in one job too long I also never stayed in relationships for very long. Who am I kidding? Unless you can call a one night stand a relationship then my relationship count was miniscule. And that's when I had the one night stand that changed my life.

It was like any other night in the club, drinks were flowing, drugs were plentiful and the men were easy. All I ever took advantage of was the latter. Somehow after everything that had happened I still remained committed to my straight edge lifestyle. I could have taken a drink or popped a pill and had some respite from the hell that my life had become but I didn't. The want, take, have theory of hookups in the club was what reigned, but what was different that night was that instead of being picked up like any other night, that night I would say that I was being admired from afar. Every move I made he followed with his eyes, never letting me stray far from his gaze. It was a change from the norm and I can't lie and say I wasn't intrigued. When I finally approached him he merely took my hand in his and led me out of the club into a waiting car. Most sexual transactions were likely to occur in the backroom of the club or the adjacent alley, not in a chauffeured luxury car.

I was amazed when we arrived at Peninsula hotel. It was one of the most high-priced hotels in Chicago. With my baggy jeans, sneakers and t-shirt I stood out, and not in a good way, but the hotel manager just nodded as we walked past him, as if I wasn't polluting the air of his hotel just by existing. We rode the elevator up to his room, or should I say his floor. The room was luxurious. This wasn't something that usually impressed me but I could recognize that this was a experience I was not likely ever to have again so I let myself enjoy the room service, the high pressured showers and the soft bed. I wouldn't call what happened that night making love but it was far from the fast fucks that I was accustomed to.

His name was Pierre. He had a sexy French accent with looks to match. It was the morning after that began the departure from my usual reality. I woke to find myself alone in his fancy hotel room. All of his luggage was gone. The only thing left behind was an envelope left on the bedside table that bore my legal first name even though I was positive that I had not given him that information. Inside was hotel stationary that merely said, "Thanks for a great night." What knocked me back on my heels was the $1,500 in cash accompanying the note. I couldn't hold down a minimum wage job but had just made $1,500 in one night performing an act that I usually gave away for free. I found that it didn't really bother me that I had basically sold myself for money unknowingly. I had left behind the straight edge tenet of not participating in promiscuous sex a long time ago. I was currently working the night shift at a 7-Eleven for minimum wage and the kind of money I was currently holding in my hand was more money that I would see in months.

When I flipped the page over there was a phone number with a Chicago area code. I really didn't want to return the money but it seemed like the right thing to do. I called the number and was taken aback when a female answered the phone.

"This is Darcy, how may I help you?"

"I think I have the wrong number. A man named Pierre left me this phone number."

"Ah yes, Pierre. It's quite a compliment that he would give you a recommendation. What's your name?"

"Pu…its Phil."

"How long have you known Pierre?"

"We only met last night. He left me $1,500 in an envelope on the nightstand," I said hurriedly, still shocked over the money he had left me.

"Pierre…so classy. This gets more and more intriguing. Are you free today? I'd love to meet you."

I had a pretty good idea what business Darcy was running and I had to admit I was just as intrigued with Darcy as she seemed to be with me. I took down the address Darcy gave me and agreed to meet her at 2PM. When I entered the coffee shop it was empty except for a woman who could only be in her thirty's.

"Are you Darcy?" I asked. Her eyes widened and I could tell that she was just as shocked by my appearance.

"You must be Phil. You're not what I was expecting at all but that's not a bad thing," she said with a smile, gesturing for me to take the seat in front of her.

"You seem awfully young to be a Madam," I blurted out and Darcy cracked up laughing.

"Madam is such an antiquated term. It's not like I have a fleet of courtesans running around the city. I prefer to think of myself as an agent. Are you gay or bi?"

"Gay."

"Good. My female clientele prefer their men to look like male models."

"Are you saying I don't look like a model?" I said with a coy smile.

"Ohh, a personality to match your looks. I can definitely work with that. Would you be interested in making more money than you've ever made in your life?"

"Who wouldn't be interested in that, seriously?"

"Going into business selling yourself isn't a decision that should be taken lightly. How about we arrange a try-out of sorts. I'll start you off with a easy client and we'll see where we go from there. The only thing we'll need to change is your clothes. Under all those baggy clothes I can tell you have quite the body on you."

"I used to be an athlete."

"Stamina too I hope? I have a feeling this might just work out. You just need to get some body conscious clothes to show yourself off for maximum effect." Darcy reached forward and lifted the edge of the sleeve of my shirt, taking a closer look at my tattoos. I was sure that my ink was going to be a deal breaker.

"Nice ink. Don't look so worried. Sometimes clients are looking for a bit of novelty and you definitely meet that description. How about we meet again in a few days after you've bought some new clothes and I'll walk you through the logistics."

I did exactly that with the money Pierre had left me and this time met Darcy at a high rise apartment building in the swankiest part of town. Darcy opened the door and looked me over from head to toe. She twirled her finger and I turned around in a circle.

"Your ass, Jesus Christ. Why you've been hiding that under baggy clothes is insane. Come on in. Would you like a drink?"

"I'm straight edge. I don't drink alcohol…or do drugs."

"That's a lifestyle choice I don't come across too often. I don't employ alcoholics or drug addicts…too much of a liability, showing up for a date blitzed out of your mind. How about we go through the rules. I will act as your agent, meaning I take 35% off the top."

"That sounds like a lot."

"It's the standard commission. You won't be getting envelopes bursting with hundreds but it's still better money than you'd ever make at a normal job. I vet all your clients first to make sure they're capable of paying the fee, that they're the right clients for you, and most of all, that they're not raving psychos. Let's go through your…capabilities. Top or bottom?"

"I do both."

"Excellent."

"What is your usual sex life like?"

"Pretty normal I guess, though I do like it a little rough to be honest."

"That's a good selling point. Let's go through the kinks. Bondage?"

"Light bondage is okay," I said hesitantly, thinking that a real prostitute wouldn't say no to anything.

"That's fine, really; I have employees that do that sort of thing exclusively."

"I'm really up for most everything except the really extreme things like getting pissed on or stuff like that."

"I don't really deal in that sort of thing. I leave that for other agents to deal with. I book out calls exclusively. That's when you meet them at some pre-determined place, usually a hotel. I've already set up your first date. His name is Erik and he's a long term client. He enjoys sampling the new guys before anybody else does. His preferences aren't anything out of the ordinary. You'll meet him at the Waldorf Astoria at 7 tonight. Nervous?"

"A little. One recommendation doesn't exactly assure that I'm…talented."

"We'll know before the end of the night won't we? I'll call you after I speak to Erik."

I nodded and left for home. I took a shower and shaved; my legs and chest as well. I had gotten into the habit of doing it when I wrestled and thought it showed off my body to it's best effect. I entered the lobby of the hotel, walking past reception coolly as if I had every right to be there. I rode the elevator up to the prearranged room and knocked. The man who opened the door was tall, blonde and very attractive. I thanked Darcy silently for booking my first outing with someone this good looking. I knew, more than likely, that most of my clients would not be. Erik looked me up and down, opening the door wide and stepping aside so that I could enter. I turned to face Erik as the door closed behind us. Without speaking a word Erik stepped close to me and ran his hands down my bare arms from the edge of my short sleeve shirt to my wrists. Erik moved his hands down to the edge of my shirt, lifting it over my head. Erik just stared at my brightly colored bared chest for a minute. I could see the rejection coming from a mile away. I reached out to grab my shirt off the bed where Erik had tossed it but Erik reached out to still my hand.

"Don't even think about putting that shirt back on."

"You looked…"

"What? Unappreciative of what's before me? I can assure you that's very much not the case. Just when I thought the world was being overrun by Abercrombie models Darcy sends me you," Erik said with a seductive smile, running his hands slowly down my chest, stopping at the waistband of my pants, taking his time undoing the button and fly, pulling my pants down my legs. I kicked them off and stood still while Erik walked in a slow circle around me, hands trailing over my skin. When we stood facing each other again Erik sunk his hands in my long hair, pulling me close and placing his lips on mine. I was confused for a second, every TV show and movie I had ever seen always implied that prostitutes seldom kissed on the lips. Erik pulled back and looked at me, laughing a little.

"This isn't Pretty Woman. Kissing isn't some sort of forbidden act. In fact, most of your clients are looking for intimacy as well as the sex. If you don't kiss me back I'm afraid that…"

I cut Erik off, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his, running my tongue over the seam of his lips which opened immediately for me. I kissed him deeply for a few minutes, letting my hands wander over his body. I didn't wait for him to tell me to undress him but took the initiative on my own. I sunk down on my knees sliding his pants down his legs and stayed on my knees. He was already hard which had to be a good sign. I wrapped my lips around the head of his dick and sucked hard. Erik moaned and tangled my hair in his hands. I slid my mouth down the length of him, tounging the vein that ran down the underside. Erik moaned again, hands tightening in my hair. I swallowed him down all the way, burying my face in his groin. I had always been able to deep throat without problems but I never thought it would turn out to be a valuable job skill. It occurred to me that I was being paid to get him off. I waited for the feelings of degradation or disgust to come over me but none of those feelings registered. As I continued to suck him off enthusiastically he began moaning louder and breathing heavily.

"Fuck…" Erik moaned, surprising me when he lightly yanked my hair, pulling out of my mouth. "As nice as your mouth is I really want to be inside of your sweet ass."

I crawled onto the bed, trying to be as seductive as possible but worrying that I just looked foolish. I looked at Erik over my shoulder but his eyes were trained on my ass. That had to be a good sign, right? His eyes finally met mine with a heated smile. He joined me on the bed, turning me over onto my back. I was surprised that he wanted to take me face to face, but it was his dime. Erik reached over to the bedside table, grabbing lube and a condom. Fuck! I wanted to plant my face in my hands in embarrassment. There were condoms in my pants but I had forgotten all about them in the heat of the moment. That wasn't very professional of me, was it? My moronacy was forgotten when his slick fingers circled my entrance and pressed inside of me. He worked me over and my body couldn't deny that it felt good. His fingers slid out of me, ripping open the condom wrapper and rolling it onto his cock. He spread my legs wider and entered me smoothly. He thrust inside me slowly at first and then began to pick up speed. If there was some rule about not enjoying yourself while you were being paid to give someone else pleasure I decided that rule could just fuck off. I lifted my legs from the bed, placing them over his shoulders. Erik gave me a wicked smile and pressed me further back on the bed until my knees were up around my ears. He circled his hips against mine.

"Oh fuck me, right there," I moaned out when he hit my prostate. Erik gave me a self-satisfied grin and began to pound me in earnest. I wanted to come so badly; Erik definitely knew what he was doing, but I held my orgasm at bay by sheer force of will. I may have forgotten the condoms but I knew I had to get him off before me…if I was going to get off at all. I tightened my muscles around him, Erik moaning loudly. He thrust inside me for a few more strokes, his hands clamping down on my hips as his body went rigid as he came. He lowered my legs from around his shoulders. I jerked in surprise as his hand wrapped around my cock, jerking me off smoothly until I came between us.

"Let's go take a shower and clean off," Erik said, pulling me off of the bed and leading me into the bathroom. While in the shower I took the opportunity to finish the blow job I had started in the hotel room, using every trick I knew to make it as good as possible in thanks for not leaving me hard and aching before he kicked me out the room. We dried off and I began gathering my clothes from around the hotel room, not sure what the protocol was for post sex behavior.

"Sweetheart?"

"Yes?" I answered quietly, waiting for the critique to come forth.

"Rule #1, get the money first."

"Fuck me, I'm terrible at this," I muttered, actually palming my face in my hand this time. How stupid am I?

"You're blushing, that's adorable. This was your first time, don't get down on yourself," Erik said, handing me an envelope. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to count it or what, so I just put it in my pocket.

"Do you mind…how was…"

Erik smirked at me and shook his head. I probably shouldn't have asked that either. He kissed me once more on the cheek and led me to the door.

"It was nice to meet you sweetheart."

I made my way back to my apartment in a sort of daze. I had just been paid to have sex and omitting the few major oversights it seemed to have gone well…I think. As I was walking through my door my phone went off. It was a text from Darcy setting up a meeting for the next morning.

_A/N: While I can now say I am a veteran writer of fanfic, this is my first foray into AU. Without having the storylines of the WWE to fall back on this should be quite interesting. I'm getting my info on the sex trade from a variety of pop culture sources, the main one being The Secret Diary of a Call Girl, whose title and I opening line I completely stole for my own nefarious purposes. The initial inspiration for this fic is Xenarocks99's "Neighbours" where she used the words Punk, John and escort in the same sentence and my brain immediately short-circuited. Please review and let me know if this story interests you and is worth continuing._


	2. Chapter 2

I knocked on Darcy's door and she let me in with an amused smile on her face.

"Can I assume that you're now clear on rule #1?"

"Oh God, Erik told you. I'm such an idiot," I said while handing her the envelope that contained Darcy's cut from what I had made last night.

"Erik thought it was adorable. Your reviews are in. Erik liked you quite a bit. That's all I needed to hear." Darcy said, leading him to the table in her kitchen, then sliding a phone to him across the table. "This is your work phone. I will be the only person that has this number. The passcode is 1705."

I took the expensive looking phone from Darcy and opened it up to the main screen. No doubt I would never learn how to use it beyond making and receiving calls and texts.

"Open up your calendar," Darcy said, highly amused when it took me a little while to get the application open. "Go to Wednesday."

I scrolled to Wednesday and found Erik's name booked for two hours at 7PM.

"Keep going."

I flicked through the days, finding Erik's name on each succeeding Wednesday.

"Erik has never asked for a standing appointment with anyone before. It probably has something to do with the fact that you're an amateur contortionist. That would have been information you could have shared with me when I asked about your skills."

"Did he tell you everything that happened?" I replied, a little embarrassed.

"This job is about the client's privacy but not so much for you. On my website there's a forum for people to comment on what they thought of you."

"Website?"

"It has your profile on it as well as pictures."

"Pictures?" I said worriedly, just imagining what might happen if someone I knew came across the site.

"I can see by your face you're a little worried about that. The pictures as password protected and they only get the code if they decide to book you. We need to get some pictures taken of you."

"Naked?"

"God no. I'm not running Playgirl and this isn't some sleazy operation. They'll be tamer than you're probably thinking…artistic type pictures. If they want to see you naked they'll have to pay for the privilege. I have another booking for you tonight. His name is Darryl and he's an accountant. He's a first time client. I wouldn't usually book a new employee with a new client so soon but from the information he gave me there was really no one else I would want to give him besides you. Call me right after so I know how it went."

Darcy watched me struggle to enter the appointment in my calendar before grabbing the phone and walking me through the process. I went home and waited impatiently for the time for the appointment to come. I took the L to the same hotel as the night before. When Darryl opened the door I thought that he looked exactly like what an accountant would look like. He was tall and lanky with a receding hairline and glasses. This time I remembered to get the money first. He grabbed me by my biceps lightly, running his thumbs over the bottom of my tattoos that were peeking out from under my short sleeves. He reached for the hem of my shirt, dragging it over my head. His hands immediately went to my chest, tracing the ink that covered my chest and arms for quite a while.

"Your tattoos are lovely."

It seemed like a strange opinion for an accountant to have until he pulled his button down from his pants and unbuttoned the plain white oxford. Under his clothes, covering his chest and shoulders were tattoos that were so beautiful it put mine to shame. From his looks he was the last person I would expect to be covered in ink. My hands itched to trace the shapes embedded in his skin but he stepped back when I moved to touch him.

"Lay down on the bed, just as you are now."

I did as he directed and watched as he stripped off the rest of his clothes and settled on top of me, straddling my hips with his knees pinning my arms to the bed. He took his erection in hand, stroking himself slowly, his eyes not straying from my arms and chest. As his hand increased speed he was breathing heavily but not making any other noises. I was worried about his non-reaction until I noticed the beads of sweat breaking out over his skin. When he reached completion he came all over my chest, spreading the cum around over my skin with his hands as if he was trying kneading in into my skin. He sat back and grabbed my shirt from where he left it at the foot of the bed.

"Sit up please."

I did as he directed and he slipped my shirt over my head, pulling it down over my chest where his cum was starting to dry on my skin. He stood at the foot of the bed and I followed.

"I hope to see you again," Darryl said, opening the hotel room door for me after he slipped on a robe and I stepped out into the hallway, the door closing behind me.

I turned around to look at the closed door in confusion. That was it? I left the hotel and walked past the L station I had taken wanting to take a walk so I could call Darcy.

"How was it?" Darcy asked immediately as the call connected.

"He barely touched me. He seemed more fascinated by my ink than he did with me."

"Not every date will be about all out sex. I set up an appointment for your pictures tomorrow. I'll text you the time and address," Darcy said in closing.

Things went on this way for a year. I still saw Erik every Wednesday and picked up a few other regulars along the way. Some gleefully pounded me into the mattress or sometimes the other way around but more often than not it never went that far. I spent quite a bit of time on my knees. Sometimes there was no sexual contact whatsoever. These dates always confused me because I couldn't imagine shelling out that kind of money just to speak and spend time with me with no sexual activity whatsoever.

I came to enjoy my work quite a bit. I was making enough to move to an apartment in a better part of town. My move up in the world caused my friends and family to ask a lot of questions which I responded to with well-crafted lies about what I did for a living. It was a constant worry that someone I was close to would find out about how I actually made my money. My nights were booked almost constantly. At first I was able to keep my days filled but that couldn't last forever. I didn't need more money so there was no reason to get a second job just to keep myself busy. It was actually one of my clients that gave me a way to spend my days. He was a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He liked a bit of conversation with his sex. I saw him every few weeks and our conversations became more laid back. When he learned about my comic book obsession he told me about the classes at the Institute about comic book writing and illustration. I ended up taking classes during the day part time and found I had a quite a talent for it. Me…a college student. It was almost unbelievable. I was quite happy in my new life but I should have known that it couldn't last forever and that's when I had the date that would send it all crashing down.

I only had classes three days a week and sometimes took the odd afternoon appointment. The appointment wasn't at one of the usual high class hotels but that didn't really bother me. Money was money. I was told to meet the client in the bar attached to the hotel. I walked into the lobby and there was only one man in the bar. I was making my way into the room when the man turned to say something to the bartender and I immediately ducked behind a fichus. Darcy had told me that the client's name was Jake. This Jake just so happened to be one of my sister's exes. The breakup had been bitter when Shaleen caught him with another man. I bolted from the hotel and immediately called Darcy. She told me she would take care of it and to come to her apartment as soon as possible. By the time I made it to her place I was a complete mess. Jake had booked me knowing exactly who I was. I was screwed.

Darcy ushered me into her place and she was almost as distressed as I was.

"When I called to cancel the appointment Jake was livid. I'm so sorry Phil, so sorry."

I buried my face in my hands and jumped when my personal phone started ringing. I looked at the screen with dread. It was Shaleen. I didn't answer the call, too afraid of what she would say. Darcy tried to calm me but I couldn't be calmed. I went home and saw Shaleen sitting on my stoop. I just stood there until she noticed me.

"We should probably have this conversation inside, don't you think?"

I led Shaleen into my apartment with dread.

"Punk, please tell me what Jake said was a lie."

When I didn't respond Shaleen took my silence as confirmation of everything Jake had said.

"Are you completely out of your mind?"

"Shaleen, please…"

"You had to know you couldn't keep a secret forever. What if Mom found out? Selling yourself...?"

"It's my life…"

"You've got to stop."

"I don't want to…"

"Think of someone besides yourself, please."

Shaleen stormed out of the apartment and I collapsed on my sofa. Darcy started calling me constantly that night but I wasn't answering her calls. When the knocking started on my door I knew I couldn't avoid her forever.

"Phil…"

"I have to stop. I can't let this get out. It would kill my family and friends to know that I'm a…whore."

"I have a plan, just hear me out." I nodded and Darcy continued on. "I know exactly what you're thinking. I know you want to quit but I have another option. What do you think about New York?" I just looked at her in confusion. "I have a friend in New York, another agent. I'm sure she'll take you on. You'll be a time zone away from everyone you know and you can still work. I don't want to lose you as an employee but I understand your need to keep this a secret. Should I make the call?"

I nodded in relief. I could keep living my life the way I wanted to and New York was far enough away to calm my nerves. Darcy cancelled all my appointments and called me a few days later after speaking to her friend. Her name was Madeline and she would be happy to take me on as an employee. I packed the things I needed and put the rest in storage. I said my goodbyes to my friends and family, telling them that I had decided to transfer to another school in New York. Shaleen was rightly suspicous but let it go.

I checked into a modest hotel in New York, walking the streets for hours, comforted by how easy it was to disappear into the crowd. My meeting with Madeline was at a restaurant at 3PM…off hours for a restaurant so we would have some privacy. I walked into the restaurant and a woman immediately waved me over. As I got closer to the table I could see that she was probably in her mid-forties with a look of sophistication. She was exactly what I thought a stereotypical madam would look like when I started down this road a year ago.

"Hello, Phil. I'm Madeline. I've heard so many good things about you from Darcy," Madeline said with an English accent. If anyone ever deserved to be described as posh, it was Madeline. "I'm sure Darcy has taught you a lot about the business but you should know up front that I run my business slightly different. I understand that you've been doing out calls exclusively but I also book in calls. My clientele is mainly businessmen in town for a few days. They are often in town with other co-workers so arranging a meeting at the hotel is out of the question. I own a few apartments in a building uptown that I rent to employees until they get on their feet and get their own place. Some out calls are booked in hotels but I also arrange dates at client's homes. That presents issues mainly to do with security. You will call me when you arrive and when you leave. We'll arrange a code of sorts so if you arrive and don't feel comfortable there I can arrange some of my security personnel to come and retrieve you. Feel free to dress as you want on in calls and meetings at client's homes. When doing out calls at hotels you should wear a suit so that you appear like any other businessman staying at the hotel."

I groaned inwardly at her last statement. If there was anything I wanted to go through my whole life not doing it was wearing a suit. Madeline went on to describe the booking procedures that were much like Darcy's vetting of my clients in Chicago. I was wary of the in calls until I arrived at the apartment that Madeline was renting to me. It was set up in a way that the living room and bedroom were connected but the kitchen and another small living room were behind a door. The separation allowed for me to have a private space that clients would never see.

Madeline was proved correct in the fact that working in New York was vastly different than Chicago. The first few months I never saw a client more than once. It was a drastic change from Chicago where I had weekly regulars that I grew comfortable with. Every date in New York was different from the next calling on an array of skills that ranged from serious bondage to dates where no sexual contact was made whatsoever. I became as good an actor as anyone the stage in Broadway. Things started to settle down as the months passed, gaining a few regulars that I saw every few weeks or so which included Erik when he was in town on business. I also got to know some of Madeline's other employees as she preferred to meet us in groups of four or five at weekly meetings when we settled accounts.

I became good friends with Kofi who also lived in the same building. He was from Ghana and wore his hair in dreadlocks. I assumed from his looks that Kofi's clients were much like mine but as we became closer I learned that Kofi's clientele was made up almost completely with regulars. Kofi provided a very specialized sort of service called the boyfriend experience. Kofi's 'dates' were often exactly that. He would typically start the night out with date-like activities such as dinner, movies, or Broadway shows. The night ended with sex like any other booking but Kofi would often spend the entire night with them. Kofi's dates were more about intimacy than the expected sex. No one had ever requested that of me and I hoped it never happened. I didn't really think that I was cut out for anything as close to a real relationship as that…even for just a night.

It was a Thursday when I got the call from Madeline booking an in call at 11PM. Madeline and I had a laugh when she told me the client's name…John…an older term used to describe a prostitute's clients. Madeline admitted that she had pegged the client wrong from the start which almost never happened. She said that John seemed like the typical all-American nice sort of guy so she sent him to Mike. Mike was actually a model that was selling sex on the side until his modeling career took off. Apparently this John had walked into Mike's apartment, looked him over and handed over the money while stuttering apologies and left immediately. Madeline was never one to risk losing a client so she set up the date with me because I was about as opposite from Mike as it was possible to be. Madeline arranged it so that John wouldn't be paying me outright but I would get the money that Mike had accepted. This was typical Mike behavior. I would have never accepted the money in the first place but Mike was sort of a douche. I knew the next time I saw Mike he would act like a complete ass over the situation.

I was dressed and waiting when the knock came on the door. I answered the door and it took every ounce of control not to let my mouth drop open. It was John Cena.

_AN: I decided to get this out as soon as I could since I'll probably be without power sometime in the near future due to Isaac. Finally, John arrives in the story. I'm sure you were all 'Slaygirl…enough with the exposition!" If I end up with power but marooned in my home by flooding, maybe I can get you another update quickly. Even I can't wait to see how this date ends up!_


	3. Chapter 3

I stepped aside, letting John into the apartment, going against every instinct I had to slam the door in his face and hope he just went away. I had never met him but I still watched enough wrestling to know of him along with any random information that Colt passed along to me. Colt had been my best friend for years. We had wrestled together in the indies until my injury caused me to leave the profession. Colt had achieved everything I never could and had been called up to the WWE a few months ago after spending a year in OVW. I knew Colt and John were on friendly terms but they didn't run with the same crowd so it was terribly unlikely that John knew of my existence. I decided to keep the information about being a former wrestler to myself. All I needed was John accidentally letting it slip to Colt that he knew me and then I would have to find a way to tell my best friend that I sold sex for a living.

John seemed a little skittish but didn't bolt for the door as he did with Mike. I led him into the living room and he took a seat on the sofa.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"A beer if you have it…liquid courage and all that." I simply nodded and fetched him a beer from the fridge which I kept on hand for clients. I brought it back to him and sat near him but not touching. The comment about liquid courage and what I knew of him made it obvious that this was probably his first time with a prostitute. He took a few quick gulps of the beer and then he turned towards me. His eyes flitted over my face and body, coming to rest on my face, staring in my eyes. I forced myself to keep our gazes locked since staring into a client's eyes was behavior that most of my clients went out of their way to avoid. He smiled nervously and I took that as my cue to scoot closer so that our thighs were pressed together. I moved slowly so that he didn't jolt when I rested my hand on his knee. This was going to take more finesse than I ever had to exert with any other client.

He looked down to where my hand was curled around his knee and looked back up at me, his eyes trained on my lips.

"I like your lip ring," John said quietly. His head moved a little closer to mine and I leaned in, kissing him briefly and his eyes closed at the contact. He let out a soft sigh, the air brushing over my lips. "It's been so long…" John whispered, pressing his lips to mine, increasing the pressure gradually. He pulled back with a sweet, shy smile and I knew right then that I was in trouble. This situation was going to take skills that I wasn't sure I even possessed. I leaned forward again, our lips meeting once more. I licked the seam of his mouth which slowly opened and I dipped my tongue inside his mouth, brushing my tongue over his. I was shocked when he wrapped a hand around the back of my neck, kissing me almost desperately. I let him take the lead as he pulled me closer, pushing me back with our chests pressed together until I was reclined on the sofa with him straddling my hips. I could feel his erection pressing into my hip. He had seemed so hesitant before that I worried if he was even going to be able to get it up but when he started grinding against me I knew that it wouldn't be a problem.

I tried to pull away to see if he wanted to move this to the bedroom but he gripped my head even tighter, not letting me put any space between our mouths. If John Cena wanted to pay me to hump me into submission it was his dime. I ran my hands slowly down his sides, dipping under his shirt and palming the bare skin of his lower back. Another moan passed his lips and he began to grind against me vigorously. I tried to work a hand between our bodies but he was pressed so close that it was impossible. He started moaning continuously, breaking the seal of our lips but he was still close enough that our lips brushed with every sigh and whimper. He let out one last groan as his body seized. John's body collapsed against mine, tucking his face into the crook of my neck, his harsh breaths fanning over my skin.

When John sat up his eyes were shiny and there were tinges of pink decorating his cheeks. He seemed incapable of meeting my eyes now.

"Can I use your bathroom?"

I pointed out the door and watched as he sprung up quickly and entered the bathroom closing the door behind him. I followed his path into the bedroom and stripped down to my boxers and laid across the bed. I was paid by the hour and there was still quite a bit of time on the clock. He opened the bathroom door and almost stumbled when he caught sight of me. I could see his eyes tracing over the colorful ink that decorated my chest and arms. He took a few slow steps towards the bed but stopped a few inches away. I sat up to reach out to him and pull him into bed with me but he stepped back out of my reach.

"I…I have to…thank you…thank you so much," and John practically sprinted to the door of my apartment and I sat frozen on the bed as I heard the door slam behind him. He hadn't bolted right off the back like he did with Mike but his quick exit and reluctance to join me on the bed was far from complimentary. His stuttered words of thanks seemed to negate that thought but this was John Cena, the shiny golden boy of the WWE. He probably thanked his opponents for beating him silly in the ring. I laid back on the bed and trailed my hand down my chest into my boxer shorts and gripped my erection moving my hand with mindless purpose. I was used to being left wanting after most of my dates, clients seeking out their own pleasure and not mine. It was perfunctory, easing the tension in my body. My eyes fell closed for a few minutes until they flew back open, my hand stilling its movements. I wasn't one to fantasize while getting off but thoughts of a shirtless John Cena had made its way into my brain. I quickly let go of my cock and practically ran to the bathroom and stepped into a freezing shower. I refused to let my brain explore those images any farther than they had already.

The next week went by with the usual dates and besides avoiding the TV like the plague on Monday night it was wholly unexceptional until Madeline called me on Tuesday night.

"I have a repeat booking for you tomorrow at midnight. It's with John, the guy from last week."

"Really?" John's actions the last time that I saw him didn't exactly bode well for a repeat booking. I merely put the appointment in my phone as Madeline ended the call. I knew the WWE ran a hectic house show schedule and knew from Colt that they were in Ohio that night which meant that John was flying to New York in the middle of a busy house show schedule. I wasn't egocentric enough to say that he was flying in expressly to see me but the thought did run through my head.

The next night I was waiting for John to show up and walked slowly to the door when the light knocking started. I opened the door and John lunged at me, wrapping his arms around my neck and attempted to devour my mouth. I broke off the kiss and looked down the hallway to see if any of my neighbors were about. John was so eager that he didn't even close the door behind him. I shut the door and turned back to John who was smiling brightly. I stared at him expectantly until he finally realized I was waiting for him to hand the money over. I set the envelope on the table by the door.

"I've been thinking about…" I pulled John's shirt over his head in a desperate attempt to stop John from finishing the end of his sentence. Whatever he was going to say was not anything I wanted to hear. I pushed him against the closed door and kissed him forcefully, running my hands up and down his defined chest, hoping that the haze of pleasure took over and would stop John from speaking another word. I knew how skittish John had been last week and probably shouldn't be treating him so roughly but I did it anyway. Maybe my behavior would stop him from seeking me out again but his groan as I continued to kiss him told another story entirely.

I dropped to my knees and unbuckled his pants, dragging them down to his ankles along with his boxers. He wasn't fully hard yet. I could have eased him into it with soft touches and light kisses along V of his abs but I didn't. I wrapped my hand around his cock and jerked him roughly until he was fully hard in my hand and wrapped my lips around the head of his cock, sucking and tonguing the underside. I kept this up until I chanced to look up at him. He was watching me intently. That would simply not do. I slid my mouth down his cock until it hit the back of my throat, my face pressed against his groin. I heard the thump as his head hit the door. I looked up again to see that his eyes had fallen shut and he was breathing harshly through his mouth. I worked him over with a practiced technique that was sure to bring him off quickly which it did. I sat back on my heels and waited for him to hitch up his pants and make another quick exit but his back slid down the door until his body met the floor.

I started to stand up so that we wouldn't be on eye level but he lunged at me again, my back hitting the floor. John settled on top of me, kissing me thoroughly.

"You taste…" I quickly pulled his mouth back down to mine to stop him from speaking. Our mouths only separated when he stripped me of my clothes. He ran his mouth over my chest and down to my groin, sucking my cock into his mouth. He was untutored and sloppy. I found myself torn between wanting to give him high marks for enthusiasm and wishing he was like some of my other clients…wanting to get me off for mere politeness' sake. I didn't want to enjoy it as much as I was but I couldn't bear to let this go on any longer. I thrust my hips up and heard him choke for a moment before I slid all the way down his throat. I moved my hips quickly basically fucking his mouth but my rough treatment of him seemed to turn him on more, not send him running for the door, tripping over his pants in his haste. He started moaning…like…well…a whore. Where the hell was the shy John Cena from last week? I tried not to enjoy it but his mouth was hot and his moans were sending heady vibrations down my cock. Pleasure was pleasure and I just let myself go, coming down his throat.

I laid on the floor, staring at the ceiling for a minute until I felt his head rest on my stomach. I looked down even though my mind was telling me not to and I saw him gazing up at me with a soft smile on his face. Fuck me…why did he have to be so cute!

"That was…amazing," John murmured against my skin. I had one last weapon in my arsenal. One surefire way to send any client rushing for the door. I opened my mouth to ask some highly inappropriate question but he beat me to the punch. "It's been so long…my job…if they knew I was gay they would fire me in a second."

"I'm pretty sure that's against the law."

"You don't know Vince McMahon," John replied. I didn't respond that I did know Vince McMahon. Maybe not personally but I had spent my short career hoping to gain his attention.

"So paying for sex is your only choice…" I said, hoping that maybe he would be put off by reminding him that he was just a client like any other and right now he was snuggling up against a prostitute that got paid by the hour. He seemed thoughtful for a second but the expression quickly left his face and he was back to gazing at me sweetly.

"Honestly, when I called that number I thought it was a spa or something. My friend Randy is the only one who knows that I'm gay. He said I needed a stress release. I didn't realize that the number he gave me was for…"

"…a whore?" I said brashly, using the most derogatory sounding word for what I did for a living. He raised his head and shook it quickly, as if to erase from his brain what he just heard… He laid his head back down on my stomach. Was he seriously going to cuddle me for the rest of the hour?

I just laid there as he traced his fingers over my tattoo that proclaimed my devotion to straight-edge. I tried not to let the soft movements of his hand get to me. John Cena needed to leave. I looked at the clock and saw that his hour was up. I sat up, disturbing John so that he had to sit up as well.

"The time…I have another…" I didn't even need to finish the sentence because John's face fell immediately. I didn't have another appointment and I wasn't one to keep a stopwatch beside the bed but I couldn't stand to be in John's presence for one minute more. He gathered his clothes and pulled them back on slowly. He looked up and instead of the look of disgust I was hoping for he was smiling again. Fuck! What would it take to wipe that smile off his face in my presence?

I pulled open the door as if rushing him to leave. He walked past me, but stopped to look at me and then kissed me.

"I'll see you soon," and I closed the door behind him.

No, John Cena. You most definitely will not be seeing me again.

_AN: Greetings from the other side of Hurricane Isaac. I have finally rejoined the world of electricity and DSL connections. I've honestly been dying to finish his chapter but A) laptops were for phone charging, B) my grandmother was seated ten feet away from me at all times and C) when I tried to plug in my laptop I blew the generator. If I haven't reviewed some of your posts it's because I've been living in the dark ages for the past week but I promise I'll get there eventually. Reviews are always welcome, if only to remind me that there are other people in the world even if I've been on a weather induced deserted island for a while._


	4. Chapter 4

It took a few hours for the feeling of being a complete dick to John to sink in. I didn't feel badly about cutting John off every time he was trying to say something unwelcomingly sentimental. I knew why he was saying those things. The answer was apparent by John saying repeatedly that it had been so long. There was probably a large chance that John had not been with anyone in quite some time. I had been in the exact position he was in and I understood it completely but that didn't mean I wanted to hear it.

I did feel a little guilty about trying like hell to embarrass him about turning to a prostitute for sexual release. I knew that feeling of desperation that came with trying so hard to cover up my natural sexual instincts and having no possible outlet to slake the thirst of wanting something that could never be. I had never reached the elite status that John did but even working in the indies I sometimes wondered if the job was worth denying myself the possibility of having an honest relationship. Even a shiny piece of bling like a Championship belt couldn't help fill the hole that resulted from living a loveless life.

The first time Madeline called with a possible booking with John I made up a story about a nasty stomach virus that would put me in no condition to work. I lied again the second time and said that I was going home to Chicago to see my family and since Madeline had access to the building I actually had to go home spinning more lies about how my new school was and my life in New York. I could tell that Shaleen wasn't buying a word of it. Luckily, WrestleMania was the next week making it impossible for John to see me. It had been three weeks since I had seen John and I hoped the time resulted in John not wanting to see me again. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I got the call from Madeline two days after WrestleMania. I had watched the pay per view that I had DVR'd while I had been working. Colt had a match and I couldn't not watch my best friend's WrestleMania debut. I should have turned the show off right then and there after Colt's match but I didn't. I watched as John was beaten by the Rock. He looked so lost and despondent sitting there on the ramp I couldn't help but feel sorry for him but that didn't mean my reluctance to see him had lessened any bit. When Madeline called the second she said John's name my first response was to give him to someone else.

"I tried to give him to someone else but he wouldn't hear of it. You've turned down two dates with him now and I don't want to lose him as a client, especially since the money is such that neither one of us can afford to turn down."

"Why not? Isn't one hourly client just the same as any other?"

"He doesn't want an hour, he wants the whole night."

"I don't do that."

"No, you've never done that before because no one has ever asked for it but you're going to start now. He's willing to pay thousands of dollars to spend time with you; you don't pass something like that up."

"I just can't."

"Give me a valid reason for saying no."

"I… I can't give you one."

"Then expect him tomorrow night at seven."

I disconnected the call and slammed the phone down on the table. What the hell did John Cena want from me? The first thought that came to mind was that we hadn't had actual sex yet. Maybe if I actually got him to the bed this time he would back off. I couldn't guess if John would want to top or bottom. He had been shy the first time we saw each other but had been a little more aggressive the second time. Not to mention that he was persistent as hell. What the hell was I supposed to do with a client for a whole night? I may have a talent for sex with stamina to match but a whole night was a damn long time.

The time between the call and the date with Cena passed quickly and not quickly enough at the same time. When the knock came at my door at precisely seven I opened the door with trepidation. John was standing there with a bag slung over his shoulder and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. I had considered acting like an ass again but I couldn't be mean to someone who looked like a kicked puppy. He handed me a bulging envelope that I put in a drawer in the table next to a door. I could have left it out on the table where he would continuously see the evidence that his time with me was paid for but I didn't. I knew from experience how horrible a loss in the ring could be but it was nothing to compare with being humiliated in the main event at WrestleMania. When I turned to face him John wrapped his arms around me, tucking his face in the crook of my neck. The plan going into this night was to drag him straight to the bedroom but I couldn't have sex with someone who looked like they were minutes away from a crying jag. I led him over to the sofa and sat him down. He molded himself to my side and wrapped my arm around his shoulders.

"I called twice and that woman said you were unavailable," John said quietly, looking up at me with his sad eyes. I could have said I had been with someone else but I held it in.

"I was sick and then I went home to visit my family."

"Where are you from? I can tell by your accent that you're not from New York."

I didn't see an issue with telling him the truth. "I'm from Chicago. You?"

"I'm from Boston but I live in Tampa now."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I knew why John was so upset so I decided to subtly lead him into talking.

"We've only just met but I can tell something is wrong."

"It's work. Do you…do you know who I am?"

"What? Are you famous or something?" I lied smoothly.

"Some people think so. I'm a professional wrestler. Do you know professional wrestling?"

"I've heard of it but I've never watched."

"Well, I work for the WWE, the biggest company in the sport."

"Are you any good?"

"The multiple championships say so but to be honest right now it doesn't feel that way. I lost a match, a big one."

"Everyone has to lose once in a while, don't they?"

"Of course, but I've spent the last year bragging that I would win and that didn't happen."

"Are they going to fire you or something?"

"No, that's not how the business works but it doesn't change the fact that I'm completely humiliated. I had to face the crowd Monday night and it was horrible. I'm so glad to see you though. This whole situation is so exhausting. Can we go to the bedroom?"

"Of course, anything you want," I said gently but I was relieved that John was initiating sex and hoped that fucking or being fucked by John Cena would bring this bothersome situation to an end.

I led him to the bedroom with his hand in mine and as I stripped him down until he was completely bare. The sight of his naked body made me think that if only John could stop speaking and acting so affectionately then I wouldn't be so eager to have him leave me be. I pulled off my clothes and stood still for a moment and waited for John's reaction. He looked me over appreciatively but there wasn't an ounce of heat in his gaze. I was a little disappointed that he didn't seem to find me as attractive as I found him. I laid down and he followed me, trying to pull down the comforter that I was lying on top of. I lifted up and he pulled the comforter over both of us.

"Would you mind turning the lamp off?"

I followed his instruction and the room went completely dark. I should have known that he would be the lights off, under the covers type. I felt the bed dip and he moved closer, his body pressed against my side. I searched out his face in the dark and pressed our lips together, his mouth opening immediately to my questing tongue. We kissed deeply for a few minutes. I waited for him to initiate more contact but he never did. He molded his body against my side, throwing an arm and a leg over my body and resting his head on my chest. I felt his body completely relax next to mine. I lay completely still for a few minutes, utterly shocked by what was transpiring.

"John…John…" I whispered and tapped him on the shoulder. His groaned and grabbed my hand, twining our fingers together and tucking them against his chest. I absolutely could not believe this was happening. He started snoring lightly as I stared into the blackness in disbelief. He was sleeping! I glanced at the clock which read 8 and shook my head. For the rest of the night I kept my eyes on the clock as the hours ticked away. I was being paid thousands of dollars so that John Cena could sleep cuddled up next to me? When seven rolled around I shook him awake.

"What time is it?" John said sleepily.

"It's seven."

"I really don't want to go but I have to catch a flight. Thank you for last night; it was exactly what I needed."

I watched dumbfounded as he grabbed his bag from the living room and pulled on fresh clothes, rounding up his wrinkled clothes from the ground where they had fallen last night. He leaned over me and gave me a brief kiss, smiling sweetly, and then headed for the door. I sat up straight in bed as I heard the door close behind him. What the fuck had just happened? A prescription for Ambien would have been a hell of a lot cheaper than what he had paid me. I had been naked, ready and willing right in front of him and he elected to go to sleep. I had to admit that my ego was a little bruised by his behavior. This would simply not stand. If John Cena came calling again I was going to fuck him inside out.


	5. Chapter 5

Of course when I wanted to see John Cena he falls off the face of the fucking Earth. It wasn't like I could call Madeline up and ask for his number because that just wasn't how things were done. There was one way to perhaps find out what was going on but that would be the absolute height of dishonesty if I were to call Colt and try to find out what John was up to. It would be utterly desperate and the mere idea of trying to manipulate Colt for information was proof of the way my last date with John had affected me. I had been bought, paid for, and standing there ready to have sex with John but he chose to go to sleep instead. It was a particularly painful shot to my ego and the past few days had done nothing to improve my state of mind.

Erik had been a long time regular of mine in Chicago and I still saw him occasionally in New York. When Madeline called and told me that Erik had called I was happy that I would see a familiar face but Madeline added that he had requested another worker in addition to myself. He was newly hired and went by Johnny. He looked like some sort of rock star, all ripped abs and long hair. The threesome with Erik and Johnny had been the perfect thing to take my mind off John Cena. I even exchanged numbers with Johnny and we hung out a few times during our mostly free daytime hours. Johnny mentioned off-handedly one day that he had been booked for a one on one date with Erik. I had lost one of my regulars to another worker and it just made the worry that I was losing my attractiveness even worse. I thought that John's tendency towards sentimentality was what I absolutely did not want to hear but his silence when I stood there naked in front of him was even worse.

I was on the verge of asking Madeline if John had asked for someone other than me when the phone call came. John had called Madeline and asked for two hours and not the whole night like he had on our last date. The date with John was three days away and I found myself thinking of John Cena at the most inopportune times. I would be pounding away at another man but thinking of being inside John instead. I wouldn't say I was looking forward to seeing John because I felt like I had something to prove and when the time to see John came I sat staring at the door waiting for him to show up.

The knock came on the door and I answered it shirtless, wearing jeans that were unbuttoned enough to show that I was completely bare underneath. I opened the door and pulled John into the apartment with a firm hand wrapped around his neck. I didn't let John speak a word before I began kissing him wildly. I only let our mouths separate when I pulled his shirt over his head. I drew him back to me but stopped just short of kissing him, leaving out mouths a breath apart. I waited for a few moments for John to speak but he remained silent, his before unwelcome comments absent. I kissed him even harder, all tongue and teeth with an almost brutal intensity. I practically dragged him into the bedroom, catching him as he tripped over the step.

I dropped to my knees, ripping open the fly on his jeans and jerking his pants and boxers down around his ankles. He was already hard but had yet to utter a single sound. I wrapped my lips around him, swallowing the length of him all the way down my throat. I worked him over using every skill in my arsenal, desperate to make him want me for something other than a practically platonic cuddle.

"Oh, oh my God, Phil…"

I felt a vicious thrill as John moaned out those words, my name being among them. I sunk my nails into the flesh of his hips.

"Please, Phil, I need…" John groaned when I slid my hand up his inner thigh and circled his opening with a dry finger. I wanted to throw him to the floor and fuck him raw but I held back the urge. John kept making hungry little whimpers and I actually let out a moan of my own when I felt him palm the back of my head, exerting the lightest pressure. His slight show of aggression excited me and I swallowed around him as I let one finger penetrate him.

"Phil, please, please, I need…" John moaned out, his hips moving back until his cock slid out of my mouth. I looked up at him in confusion until he gripped my biceps and pulled me to my feet. Our mouths collided, his tongue tangling with mine.

"You taste so good," John whispered, our mouths separating just enough for him to flick his tongue over my lip ring. I reached up to loosen the arms wrapped around my upper body and guided his hands down to the waistband of my jeans, keeping my hands on his as we worked my already loosened jeans over my hips. I stepped out of them and turned towards the bed, his hands falling away from my hips. I took a few steps but he didn't follow. I looked over my shoulder and smirked slightly when I saw that his eyes were trained on my ass.

"Coming?" I said invitingly. He looked up at me, his gaze heated as he tried to follow me but stumbled a bit over his jeans that were still around his ankles, pooled over his shoes. I walked back to him slowly and kneeled down, undoing his shoes so he could step out of his jeans. I lifted by eyes to his slowly, passing over his utterly mouthwatering body. I rose to my feet, trailing my fingers over his skin from his ankles to his shoulders. I wrapped my arms around him and backed him up until the bed hit the back of his knees and I followed him down until I was laid out over the length of his body.

I sat up, straddling his waist and reached over to the bedside table, grabbing lube and a condom from the drawer. His mouth made contact with my chest, placing light, sucking kisses to my collar bone and the base of my throat. I hovered over him as I let him explore my skin with his mouth and tongue. I sat back up, John whimpering a little as the connection between his mouth and my skin was broken. I moved backward until I was seated between his legs. I spread his legs wider as I leaned in to kiss his muscular chest. I reached out for the lube, spreading the liquid over my fingers to warm it. My fingers dipped between his legs and circled his entrance. His hips jerked reflexively, my fingers sliding into his body up to the knuckles from his movement. John's body went completely still for a moment, letting out a gasping breath.

I grabbed his thigh and hitched his leg up around my hip, John moving his other leg up to hold my hips between his strong thighs. I plunged my fingers in deeper until they were surrounded by his hot, tight channel. I resisted the urge to remove my fingers and plunge into him but he was so tight and I knew it would be painful for him and in this moment I didn't want his tears, I wanted to hear him scream out my name in pleasure. I worked my fingers inside of him, scissoring them gently, adding another finger when I felt him relax. I knew John was ready when he began to move his hips along with the movement of my fingers.

I removed my fingers, slid on a condom and replaced them with my cock, sliding into his grasping channel. I stilled my movements and let John get used to the feeling of me inside him.

"Phil…please move, please…"

I began to thrust slowly. John was still so tight so I kept my movements slight. John wrapped his hand around the back of my head and pulled my face close to his.

"Phil, please…fuck…harder…" John groaned before pressing our lips together, kissing me wildly. I stroked inside him harder, keeping pace with his energetic kisses. John was moaning loudly but I wanted to hear him scream. I rotated my hips, knowing I found John's spot when my name spilled over his lips at an ear-splitting volume. I snapped my hips against his roughly, John's hips rolling to meet mine. I reached between us and wrapped my hand around his cock, my hand moving at the same frenetic pace as our hips.

"So close…"

"John, come for me…"

I felt John's body seize under mine. Just as I felt John's come splash over my hand his teeth bit down on the muscle at the base of my neck and I felt myself falling over the edge with him. My hand rose to cover my neck where he had bitten me but his arms and legs wrapped around me like a vise pressing our bodies impossibly close. He nuzzled my neck, his lips grazing over the spot that was still tingling from his bite.

"Thank you…thank you…"

He held me against him for a few minutes until his arms loosed enough for me to roll to the side. My eyes flitted over his face. He looked absolutely wrecked. I felt my lips lift in a pleased expression. John returned my smile, his dimples popping…absolutely fucking adorable. John rolled to his side so we were face to face and kissed me briefly.

"I don't want to go…" John whispered against my lips.

"You don't…" I started and clamped by lips together in shock. What the hell was I getting ready to say…? "Do you have a flight?" I asked, a much more acceptable response.

"I do. I have a show tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait two weeks to see you again. Can I see you this weekend?"

"Madeline…"

"I'm asking you, not Madeline," John murmured softly.

"I…yes…I'm free," I said, my eyes going wide with what I had just said when John started to laugh.

"Saturday night? 7 o'clock?"

"I'll let Madeline know."

John started to gather his clothes and I followed him into the living room wrapped in a sheet. My eyes fell to the ground where an envelope was lying on the ground, loose bills spilling out haphazardly onto the floor. This was definitely a violation of Rule #1. I looked to John whose smile had dimmed a little. He crouched down and gathered up the money. I waited for him to hand me the money but he placed it on the table near the door instead. This time I kissed him until his bright smile was back and shut the door behind him.

I stood there for a minute or two until the smile melted off my face. What the hell had just happened? I had gotten him into bed and I finally had sex with him but it bore no resemblance to the brutal fucking I had planned on giving him. My hand reached up to rub the side of my neck and I mentally shrugged. John was hot as hell and generous with his money. As long as he kept the sentimental thoughts to himself I wouldn't mind having John Cena in my bed.

_AN: Review and ye shall receive. Thank you so much for the great reviews and I hope you like this chapter just as much. I've started a new Twitter account, slaygirl190, so feel free to stop by for progress updates, RAW sarcasm and the occasional bitching and moaning._


	6. Chapter 6

I had clients every night the three days after I had seen John last. The dates were uneventful and I found myself comparing them to John. I couldn't deny that he was definitely one of the best looking clients that I had ever been with but as a few years of experience taught me, sometimes the most mouthwatering of eye candy couldn't get it done between the sheets. What I really couldn't get out of my head was the combination of sweetness and desperation that was John Cena. He could be achingly vulnerable at one moment and begging me to fuck him harder in another. He had an innocent seductiveness to him that kept invading my thoughts in the most inopportune moments. His sentimental affections toward me were misplaced. I knew that even if he didn't. What would be the harm in letting him pretend? The only person he would be hurting is himself.

I was thinking about applying to an art school in New York and I was looking through my work when there was a knock on the door. I looked up at the clock and realized it was John. I rushed to gather my things up and put them in my private living room, closing the door behind me. I opened the front door and John walked into the apartment and instead of handing me the money directly he set it on the table by the door without comment.

"Did you miss me?" John said, smiling brightly as he looped his arms around my neck.

"I saw you three days ago," I responded with a wry smile.

"You missed me, I know it."

"You're right. I've been sitting in the dark pining over you since you left."

John lunged at me suddenly and almost knocked me off my feet. His lips met mine and he began to kiss me wildly. His hands ran down my back and grabbed two handfuls of my ass, pulling me in tight against his body, his groin rubbing against mine. His hands drifted down to the back of my thighs, pulling them apart to the point that I had no choice but to jump up and wrap my legs around his waist. He was still grinding against me and I could feel his hardness rub against mine. He carried me into the bedroom, throwing me down onto the bed and straddling my waist. I looked up at John, a little surprised at his show of aggressiveness.

John pulled my shirt over my head so forcefully I could hear the seams tearing. He lowered his head and I felt his teeth scrape over my collar bone. My entire body jerked when he bit down harshly on my nipple. I should have pulled his head away and warned him not to mark me. Meeting a client with another man's teeth marks on me was unacceptable. As he trailed more biting kisses down my chest I knew I had to stop him without seeming to refuse his attentions. I moved to pull his shirt over his head to distract him but I looked up at him in confusion when he slapped my hands away. His hands moved to the button of my jeans, undoing the seam and pulling them down and throwing them on the ground. His teeth came back into play when he ran them over my hip bone. I held my breath as his mouth moved nearer to my cock, waiting for him to take me in his mouth. I waited for a few moments for the delicious sensation to begin but none came.

I looked up at him to find his darkened eyes staring at me steadily. My eyes tracked his movements as he kneeled over me and moved off of the bed entirely. I finally let out a breath when he ripped his shirt over his head, his jeans and boxers following. He crawled back on top of me and sat down on my hips, his weight holding my body down. He leaned over to the bedside table and grabbed a condom. I let out an embarrassing moan when his hand snaked down to wrap around my cock, sliding the condom on. Again, I waited to feel his hand moving over me but he just continued to hold me with his firm grip.

He leaned forward, his face hovering over mine. I was waiting to be kissed when I let out a shocked sound when his hips sunk down, my cock sinking into his unprepared entrance. His body stilled, his eyes falling shut as he let out what sounded like a pained groan. No matter how many times I said in my head that I wanted to fuck him raw I would never have done it in reality. I wouldn't want to hurt him physically. His arms rose to my shoulders, pinning them to the bed as his hips started to move. I watched in shocked as he began to fuck himself on my cock. This was a side of John Cena that I would have never thought to have existed. He set a brutal pace that I couldn't match due to being held down so entirely.

One of his hands left my shoulders, trailing down the midline of my body until he took his own erection in his hand. My mouth fell open, the breaths coming harshly out of my mouth as I watched him work himself over. His moans were unintelligible as he moved over me, his body tensing as his come painted my chest. His body collapsed on mine, John's hot breath fanning over my neck. He rolled to the side, my still hard cock slipping out of him. I stared at the ceiling in disbelief at what had just happened. John may be nicer than most but he was still capable of taking his pleasure with no regard for mine as any of my other clients. I felt him move off the bed and my eyes followed him as he walked into the bathroom and I heard the shower start. I sat up and stared at the in the direction of the bathroom. This was just too fucking surreal.

"Are you coming?" I heard John yell from the bathroom.

"Unfortunately not," I whispered to myself as I rose from the bed and entered the bathroom, pulling the door open and joining him in the shower. John's arms were braced against the wall of the shower, the water running in rivulets down his muscular body. I was tempted to push him against the wall and slam into him but this whole night so far was nothing to do with what I wanted. I was positive that this would be the last time I would ever see John Cena. His head turned to look at me over his shoulder. I had no idea what the expression on his face was but I had reached the end of my restraint. I reached above me to the shelf mounted above the shower and grabbed a condom, the sound of the shower muffling the tearing sound. I slipped the condom on and jerked John backwards by his hips, his hands sliding down the wall until he was completely bent over at the waist. I drilled into him, turning all the intensity he had taken me with back at him.

"Phil…fuck me…"

Hearing that expletive come out of his mouth set me off and I took him hard and fast, my fingers digging into the water slicked skin of his hips. It only took a few brutal strokes until I was coming into the condom sheathed around me deep inside him. I pulled out, tying the condom off and letting in drop onto the ledge of the shower. John turned to face me and I found myself pinned against the wall off the shower as John kissed me fiercely, pulling at my long hair, rubbing his body against mine. His already hardening cock slid against my stomach. John pulled back, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Thank you…"

"Don't thank me…please."

John looked at me with a slightly confused expression but his bright smile took over his face as he wrapped one leg around my hip.

"I've been thinking about riding you until my eyes rolled back in my head all day. I have years of fantasies to catch up on…you taking me in the shower was one of them."

"You can tell me every single one…I can give you anything you want."

John moaned lustily and his mouth pressed against mine again. I let my hand wander down his back and lightly squeezed the toned flesh of his ass.

"You can't do that again. You should let me prepare you, I don't want you hurt," I whispered against his neck.

A bright flush that had nothing to do with the warm water spread across his face.

"I wasn't…unprepared…"

I looked at John in confusion…had he been with someone else?

"The plane ride over…I couldn't stop thinking about you…in the bathroom…on the plane…" John stuttered out.

"You got yourself off in an airplane bathroom while you thought of me?"

"I'm so embar…"

"Don't even say that. I think it's unbearably hot. So these…were inside you?" I asked as I lifted up his right hand and sucked two of his fingers into my mouth.

"Yes…"

"Show me…" I murmured, dropping to my knees and lifting his leg up, draping it over my shoulder. I eased his arm down the back of his thigh, pressing John's fingers against his entrance. I felt his fingers slide into his body and I guided them until they were pumping in and out smoothly, bringing my hands to grasp his hips as I let my mouth engulf his cock. I felt his hips stutter forward at the sensation. I let my mouth keep pace with his fingers. John's moans echoed off the walls of the enclosed space, his hips rolling, driving his cock deeper down my throat. I let one of my hands slide up the inside of his thigh, pressing two of my fingers into him, joining his own. I crooked my fingers and guided his to move with mine, pressing down until I found his bundle of nerves, knowing I had found his spot when his hips drove forward sharply, his cock driving all the way down my throat, coming with a loud shout.

John's legs buckled and he slid down to the floor. It took all my strength to haul him up and drag him to the bed, not even bothering to dry off. He slung a leg and an arm over my body, cuddling against my side.

"That was…fucking amazing," John said breathlessly.

"Every time I hear you say that word it drives me crazy."

"Fuck, fucking, fuck."

"Nice try. I don't want to be the reason you're walking bowlegged on TV Monday."

"You don't have to watch me on TV. We're going to be at Madison Square Garden next Monday. I got you a ticket," John said with a smile, reaching down to the floor gingerly and grabbing his jeans, handing me the ticket. "It's ringside but I couldn't get you a ticket on the camera side. Say you'll come. We can get together afterward."

I nodded as I took the ticket but the thought of being at a live wrestling event filled me with dread. I hadn't been near a ring since my injury and the idea of showing up to Raw and watching people doing what I had always dreamed of doing myself would be torture. It was hard enough watching it on TV but being there live would be painful. I looked down at the ticket in my hand and was about to hand it back to John with some sort of excuse but I found that I couldn't. I had never really confronted my feelings head on about never being able to wrestle again. I had lived through the hellish aftermath and pretty much turned my back on the sport. John was unknowingly handing me the opportunity to confront some of my demons. I would have to avoid Colt who was fighting with Jack Swagger over the US Championship but that would be easily done. I would just have to disappear when his music cued up. I glanced up at John who had a hopeful look on his face while waiting for my response.

"Thank you for the ticket."

"So you'll come?"

"I think I will," I said, leaning closer so that our lips met gently. John returned my kiss and I followed his lead as he kept it soft and light. We reclined on the bed, lying on our sides facing each other. John continued to kiss me and I let my eyes fall shut as he twined his fingers in my long hair. My body relaxed completely, an action that only happened with my most familiar repeat clients. John's lips left mine, his lips tracing over my face. I let out a shuddering breath when he kissed my closed eyelids. I felt myself falling into John's fantasy of what he seemed to want our relationship to be. I let the feeling overtake me willingly.

I woke up to feel a tickling sensation on my face. My hand moved to my face to stop whatever it was but came in contact with what was definitely a human hand. My eyes flew open and I sat up abruptly. John was sitting next to me. I could tell it was morning by the sun streaming in through the windows.

"You fell asleep while I was kissing you. I know I wasn't supposed to stay but I didn't want to leave you asleep with the door unlocked."

"You were worried about my safety?" I asked skeptically.

"Maybe I just wanted to stay. I can pay…"

"Don't worry about it," I said dismissively. "I don't charge people to watch me sleep."

"I can't get away again this week. I'll see you on Monday?"

"I'll be there."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

John slid off the bed and I followed him to the door, letting him kiss me one last time before I closed the door behind him.

Monday came quickly and I made my way to Madison Square Garden. I was tempted to scalp the ticket in front of the venue but I knew this was something I had to do, for me. I found my seat which was halfway in the aisle. It was obvious that this wasn't the normal set up and the chair had been added specially. I was seated next to a family; the child with them was in a wheelchair and decked out in the green of John's ring gear. I listened in on their conversation, picking up the phrase 'Make-A-Wish' and John's name. I knew enough about John's charity work and seeing actual proof of it drove home that John was one of those few genuinely nice people. It really hit home how unfair it was to John that he could be so good but still be unable to have a true, honest relationship.

The show started and I found myself actually enjoying it, getting into the action and yelling along with the crowd around me. The second I heard Colt's music hit I practically ran for the hallway but stopped at the entrance to the hallway and turned around. I could still see the ring and stood and watched as Colt defeated Swagger and won the title. I wanted to run back to ringside, scale the barricade and hug Colt. It was his first WWE title and I wanted to celebrate the realization of years of Colt's hard work with him. I would have to settle for calling him the next morning after John left.

I would have known John Laurinaitis anywhere after hearing about his immense douche baggery from Colt. John came out and started screwing with the man, managing to completely humiliate him while telling a series of the corniest jokes I had ever heard. John's mix of sweetness and viciousness was pretty attractive. I saw John's eyes flick to mine a few times while he was in the ring. Laurinaitis made an on-the-spot match with Tensai who I knew to be a horribly branded Albert; his name being chanted mockingly by the New York audience. John whipped off his shirt and threw it, the shirt hitting me in the face and falling into my hands. I rolled my eyes and turned to offer it to the child in the wheelchair next to me.

"I've already got one. John Cena signed mine this morning," he showed me, pointing to his shoulder that bore John's signature. "You should put it on."

"I don't think…"

"Aren't you a John Cena fan," the child asked me hopefully. I just nodded and slipped the shirt over my head to the delight of the child. We watched the action in the ring where John was pretty much getting his ass handed to him, both inside the ring and out, the action staying safely on the TV side of the ring. John managed to pull out the win and the show came to an end. John made his way around the ring, greeting his fans. He reached over the barricade to hug the child next to me. His eyes flicked over to me and I busted out laughing at John's expression of shock seeing me in his shirt. I just raised my eyebrow and shrugged, John moving on to the next set of fans.

The entrances for the dark match began; Chris Jericho coming out to team with Tensai with Laurinaitis in their corner and Randy Orton to team with John. Orton walked to the steps right in front of me and looked right at me with a hard gaze. Oh shit, Randy Orton knew exactly who I was and he didn't look pleased. I said goodbye to the family next to me and made for the exit at top speed.

I finally got home and waited for John to come calling. The knock finally came on my door and I opened it.

"Where did you go? I sent the security guard…" John's sentence broke off with a choked sound when he realized that I wasn't wearing anything but the shirt he had thrown at me before his match.

"What was that about the security guard?"

"I sent him...a backstage pass…" John stuttered out, unable to string a sentence together while he was staring at my bare legs peeking out from the oversized green shirt. I was glad I had ducked out before the end of the dark match. How was I supposed to explain why I couldn't go backstage without giving myself away? I had dodged a bullet. I saw John lay an envelope on the table and I turned to lead the way into the bedroom. John stepped behind me, pulling my hair to the side, brushing his lips over the back of my neck. His hands slipped under the hem of the shirt, grasping my naked hip, pulling me back against his groin and grinding his hardening cock against my ass.

"I want…"

"What do you want?"

"I want…I want to be inside you."

I turned around in his arms to face him and began walking backwards toward the bedroom, slipping the shirt over my head as I went.


	7. Chapter 7

I walked into the bedroom but before I could make it to the bed I felt John's body press against my back. His arms wrapped around my waist, laying his head on my shoulder blade, his quick breaths fanning over my back. He held me close for a few minutes; the only movement was the deceleration of his breathing as he seemed to relax.

"There is something I should tell you…" John whispered, the sentence breaking off at the same time I felt his body tense up again. "I've never done this before. You're so…what if…what if I'm bad at it."

"In my experience it's practically impossible to be really bad at it; boring maybe, but not bad."

"Your experience…I don't want to disappoint…"

At that I turned around in his arms so that I could show him that there was no reason to worry.

"John, aren't we good together?"

"Yes," he responded breathlessly.

"Do you want to make me feel as good as I made you?"

"Yes, but what if I can't?"

"I promise you that's not going to happen. You trust me don't you?"

"I do," John said, raising his eyes to meet my own. The look of adoration on his face was unmistakable and it was exactly what I had intended. I had started out trying to play on his affection for me in an attempt to relax him, but as I kept speaking the emotions behind those words started to affect me as much as him. No one had ever really trusted me before, especially not the implicit sort of trust that John expressed. I was not fundamentally untrustworthy but I had a lifetime of acting in a way that served my best interests; my choice of profession was proof enough of that.

I started to slowly undress John who just continued to stare at me. When I reclined on the bed I had to take John's hand and pull him down until his body was stretched across the length of mine. I let my legs fall open, John's hips resting between my thighs, our already hard cocks coming into contact. I grasped John's hips, encouraging him to roll his hips against mine, letting him find a rhythm that he enjoyed. His lips descended, his tongue tangling with mine, mirroring the movement of his hips. I let him take the lead until the pace he set began to quicken. I pulled back from his kiss, lifting his hand and taking two of his fingers into my mouth, sucking them until they were coated with my saliva. His fingers slid out slowly, John tracing my lips with his wet fingers.

John's hand slowly trailed down my body until he reached my groin and then he stopped. I reached down with my hand, guiding his hand between my legs, letting our fingertips brush against my opening. I moved my hand to rest at the small of his back trying to soothe his nerves. His fingers continued to circle the outside but he did not move to penetrate me. I leaned up until my lips were brushing against John's ear.

"I want you. I want you to make me so hard until I'm begging for you to take me. Put your fingers inside me, I want to feel you in me."

John turned his head, our lips meeting with ferocity that John initiated. I knew I had pushed the right buttons when I felt his fingers breach me and slide home, John's hesitant actions coming to an end. He pumped his fingers in and out with the same fierce rhythm of his kiss. It was more enthusiasm than finesse but the idea of John doing this to me and only me made everything so much more intense.

"John, fuck!" I yelled out when John's fingers brushed against my prostate, my back bowing with the pleasure of it. John's fingers stopped their movement. He was staring at me with a delighted grin, a slight look of pride taking over his features.

"John, don't stop, please don't stop," I moaned out, pulling him back to me. John's fingers began to stimulate the little bundle of nerves without ceasing. However untutored and inexperienced, he was driving me out of my mind. I had to have more. I reached under the pillow and pulled out the condom I had left there knowing I would see John that night. I pressed it into his free hand. I could see his hands shaking and I helped him ease the sheath down his length, guiding him until he slid home inside me.

"Oh, Phil…"

"John, please, fuck me. I want you. I want you to make me scream."

John didn't hesitate this time, stroking inside me with firm strokes. His hands slid up my body, twining his fingers with mine and pinning them next to my head.

"Phil…look at me."

My eyes opened to meet John's. Closing my eyes during sex was a professional courtesy as most of my clients preferred not to meet my gaze. I stayed the learned behavior and met John's eyes straight on. This seemed to inflame John even more and he began to take me with abandon. My hips moved to meet his, my legs wrapping tightly around his waist. John swiveled his hips and he hit my prostate head on. I was far beyond everything except keening out John's name every time he made contact with that spot deep inside me. His thrusts began to loose their rhythm.

"John…" I didn't have to say any more than that when John seemed to know instinctively what I was asking for, wrapping his hand around my cock and stroking it in time with the movements of his hips. My back arched sharply, my come splashing between our stomachs. John thrust a few more times, coming with a hoarse cry.

"Phil…I lo…"

I cut him off, sealing his mouth with a kiss. I couldn't bear to hear the words he tried to say. No one had ever said them to me and I wasn't going to allow John to be the first. He was a client and nothing more, even if I had to keep reminding myself of that fact when it was so easy to get lost in John's false fantasy.

John broke off the kiss, letting his full weight collapse on top of me, his head resting on my chest. I let my hand trail down his back, damp from the exertion and held my breath, hoping John would not try to repeat the words he had try to speak before. We stayed, wrapped up in each other, our breathing the only sound in the room. I could feel myself nodding off when John spoke.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, but that doesn't mean I'm going to answer it," I said sleepily.

"How did you get into the…uh…line of work that you're in now?"

I flinched, having expected this question sooner or later. I didn't fail to notice that John avoided saying what I actually was…a prostitute, a hooker, a whore. The exchange of money between us reinforced that idea. He no longer asked for amounts or handed me the cash personally. It was all part of the fantasy he was weaving around us and I didn't have the heart to give him a reality check and send it all crashing down.

"Like most people I had a grand plan for my life but when that fell through there wasn't a plan B. I drifted around for a while and sort of fell into the profession. I barely made it through high school so it wasn't like it was qualified for much besides the night shift at 7-Eleven."

"What was the grand plan?"

"I told you just because you asked a question didn't mean I would answer it…this is one of them," I responded sharply. This seemed to deflate John quite a bit. If I had known what door it was going to open up I would have just told him the truth. I truly didn't know why I didn't just tell him about my past. It made me feel like a failure sometimes even though my injury was completely out of my control. Maybe I was jealous but mainly I didn't want John to know I had been lying to him from day one. John's invasive questions continued, even though it hurt him to ask.

"Do you…like it?"

"No one likes their job all the time but I guess you can say I like it well enough. I'm good at it…at least I think I am."

"How many…"

"Do you really want the answer to that?"

"No."

Even though I hadn't given John an answer I could see the wheels turning in his head by the pained expression on his face. I took the chance to change the subject.

"So about Randy Orton…"

"What about Randy?"

"He looked at me kind of strangely tonight."

"Yeah, we got into it before the show."

"Because of me?"

"Yeah. Randy said he gave me Madeline's number so that I could relieve a little stress. He had no idea that I was still seeing you. He wasn't happy about it but he was even less happy that I had been lying to him about it."

"Sometimes you have to lie."

"I don't think so."

"But you are…"

"A little guilt is worth it," John said, sending a soft smile my way. "I'm going to be out of town for 2 weeks. We're going on an overseas tour of Europe."

"Sounds fun."

"It can be but it's also exhausting as hell. Are you going to miss me?"

I wanted to give John some flip response but I held it back and instead said nothing at all.

"You're going to miss me, aren't you Phil?" John asked, a slight tremble in his voice.

I debated with myself about whether I should say something harsh, perhaps driving John away from me and all the problems that came with him when he appeared in my life.

"Yes, I think I will," I responded simply. A bright smile overtook John's face before rolling us over so that my chest was pressed to his back. I could hear his breaths start to even out. My thoughts were rioting but I let the sound of John's breathing lull me to sleep.

_AN: I promise I'm going to try to give equal attention to both my fics, meaning that I will probably update both once a week unless I am besieged by the inspiration fairy. This chapter is sort of transitional and a little short but I hope you guys enjoy it!_


	8. Chapter 8

John was right, I did miss him. I certainly didn't welcome the emotion. It had been a week since I saw him last and his absence was screwing with my professional life. I couldn't seem to shake the thoughts of John loose no matter how many beds I slipped in and out of. Even with my nights booked up there were always the days where I had nothing to distract me from the reality that was John Cena. I had stopped John from uttering those three little words that would wreck both our lives. No one had ever said that phrase to me. I wouldn't be human if I said that it didn't affect me. I would sometimes find myself lost in fantasies that could never be. What if I had never been injured? What could have happened if John and I had met under different circumstances? The thoughts plagued me because my life was what it was. There was no turning back now.

John had been hesitant in the beginning where the sex was concerned but now that he and I had spent more time together the tentativeness had melted away. John had become comfortable with his sexuality again and I couldn't help but think that he was ready now for a real relationship, not some paid encounter with a prostitute. I found that I wanted his happiness and I knew that wasn't with me, no matter what he might say. I needed to break it off more than ever but now I didn't want to deprive myself of some sort of connection with John. I knew this would turn out badly from the beginning but I had never imagined it was going to get this bad.

My work phone started ringing and I picked it up immediately. Madeline didn't like to be kept waiting.

"Hello Madeline, what can I do for you?"

"A, this isn't Madeline and B, if you really want to know what I can do for you, you can tell me what you're wearing right now."

I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the screen in disbelief. It was certainly not Madeline's number. I knew exactly who was on the phone but it was so unbelievable and unprecedented that I couldn't help but ask the most obvious question.

"Who is this?"

"You've forgotten me already; it's only been a week."

"John, how in the hell did you get this number?"

"I got it off your phone while you were sleeping."

"Sneaky."

"Maybe, but I didn't want to go two weeks without being able to hear your voice."

"We can't talk. This is my work line. If my boss calls and it goes to voicemail she's going to be angry. No one else is supposed to have this number."

"I just want to talk to you, just for a little while."

"I…" I hesitated for a moment, not believing what I was about to do.

"Do you have a pen?"

"Yeah."

"Are you alone?"

"It's the middle of the night here; I'm all alone in my hotel room."

"Take this down," and I rattled off the number for my personal line. I knew it was a horrible idea as I gave him the number but I found when I heard his voice that I did want to talk to John. I hung up the phone and stared at the phone for my personal line sitting on the table, waiting impatiently for it to start ringing. It started ringing and my hand hovered over the phone for a few moments before giving into the urge and connecting the call.

"John."

"Hello again."

"How are you?"

"So formal. Want to talk about the weather now?"

"Aren't you the snarky one today?"

"It's been a rough week and the guy I've been working with is the snarkiest guy on the planet, he never lets up and always knows exactly where to twist the knife…freaking Jericho."

"Maybe you just don't enjoy being put in the Walls of Jericho on a daily basis."

"No, it's…wait…Walls of Jericho? How do you know about that?"

I paused for a moment. I needed a lie and I needed it quick. "Oh…I may have watched an episode of Raw."

"You did? That's so sweet."

Great. I had managed to cover up a lie with another one that made me sound like some sort of stalker.

"Where are you right now?"

"Paris."

"Enjoying the city of love?"

"It's not very lovely when you're in Paris alone."

"You're not in America, there's less of a chance that someone could recognize you. You could go out, find some bar that caters to you preferences, find a guy with a delicious French accent and go back to his place. I'm sure your friend Randy would approve of you finding some foreign stress relief," I said, even though the thought of John with someone else made my stomach twist painfully.

"Why would I do that when I have you?"

"I…I…"

"You don't need to say anything in return Phil. I know what you're thinking even if you don't say it out loud. I'll win you over, you'll see."

"Maybe you already have," I said softly, trying on the affectionate words and seeing how they felt rolling off my tongue. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.

"You have no idea how much I want that to be true. There's something that I want to ask you. Don't answer now. Just think about it for the next week, please. They give us a week off when we get back. I just have to show up to Raw on Monday but other than that I'm free for a week."

John fell silent for a few moments.

"Would you…uh…like to come home with me to Tampa for the week?"

"John, I don't…"

"Please say you'll come. I want to spend my time off with you. We won't be cooped up in your apartment like we usually are."

"Work…"

"You're off for the week too. I already called Madeline and worked it all out with her. All you have to do is say yes. I'll call you when I'm back in the States again. I don't want to hang up but I have to get some sleep if I'm going to be in any state to wrestle tomorrow. I'll talk to you soon. Please think about it and don't forget to miss me."

John hung up before I could even respond. John hadn't spoken directly to Madeline in weeks but he had on this occasion. I didn't want to know the sum that John was willing to pay for us to get away from New York for a week. Over the next few days my mind must have changed a hundred times about what course of action I should take. I had spoken to Madeline and she seemed delighted with the prospect of me running off with John for the week. No doubt money was the motivating factor. I wish it was that simple for me.

My phone rang early on Monday morning and I knew it was John. I connected the call with no hesitation.

"Hey you," John greeted my before I could say anything.

"John, hey."

"Are you coming to Tampa with me?" John said without any of the perfunctory small talk that usually began a conversation. He sounded so hopeful and I knew I was caught.

"Yes, I'll come to Tampa."

"I'm so happy; you have no idea how much. The last two weeks seemed like they would go on forever. About your plane ticket…"

"I already have one," I responded, having bought the ticket when my thoughts on the trip were tending toward the positive.

"You did? I can't wait to see you. When are you getting in?"

"Tuesday afternoon. Is that enough time for you to get home from wherever you are?"

"Yeah, I'm getting back Tuesday morning."

I gave John my flight information and he was adamant about picking me up himself instead of me taking a cab.

"I would love to keep talking to you but I have a Make-A-Wish thing today and I have to go."

"I'll see you Tuesday afternoon. We'll have a whole week to talk. You'll probably be sick of me by the end of the week," I said, both hoping and fearing that would be the case. I also hadn't missed that John had used the word 'love'. I had heard the word pass his lips and I had no idea how I felt about that.

"I could never get sick of you. I'll see you on Tuesday."

"See you then," and I disconnected the call.

Tuesday morning came after 24 hours of packing and unpacking the same clothes over and over. There was still a part of me that wanted to not go to Tampa, hoping that such a cruel gesture would disappoint John so much that he would never contact me again but a larger part of me wanted to go to Tampa desperately. I found myself at my gate in the airport, waiting to board the plane. There was no going back now and I was almost sure that I didn't want to.

_AN: It's a little short and more transitional than anything else but the next chapter is where all the action will be. Hope you enjoy it._


	9. Chapter 9

The flight to Tampa took a few hours and I spent the whole time staring out the window with my headphones on, music blasting at full volume. The noise kept me from thinking too much about what could happen in the course of a week. We finally landed in Tampa and I was one of the last to deplane. I made my way to baggage claim and there John was, waiting by the conveyor belt where the plane's luggage was circling. John finally caught sight of me and he took off at a run. I stared into his eyes and shook my head. He seemed to get the message that he probably shouldn't look so eager to greet another man in a packed airport where any number of people knew who he was. He slowed to a brisk walk and finally got to me. He gave me one of those one armed guy hugs that two platonic men might share, except of course when he gripped the back of my shirt in his fist so tightly that the collar pulled down some, exposing a bit of my collar bone. I could see John glance down to the accidentally bared skin with a heated gaze that was completely inappropriate for two guys who were trying to look like they were just friends.

"I thought you would never get here. I can't tell you how happy you've made me," John said quietly.

"I'm happy to be here," I responded, just as quietly. John looked at me with such warm affection, dimples popping, and I knew we had to get the hell out of there before anything else suspicious happened.

"There's my bag," I said, spying it as it circled the conveyor belt.

"The blue one?"

"Yeah."

John and I both reached for the handle of the bag, our hands brushing against each other's. We both jerked back like we had been burned and I had to run across the room before my bag disappeared again. Once I had the bag in my possession we walked to his car in short term parking. The car we stopped at was a vintage red sports car. I didn't know anything about cars but the vehicle just screamed very expensive. Out of all the thoughts I ever had about John, the fact that he was filthy rich never really intruded on my thoughts. Considering that my life revolved around money and the sex it could buy, the amount of money John spent to be with me finally hit home. It wasn't fair to John in the slightest and I knew I had to make this week as perfect as possible because it would be the last time I would ever see him.

We stowed my luggage in the trunk and climbed into the car. John looked around for a moment and grabbed be by the front of my shirt, practically pulling me over the console and into his lap. He yanked the collar of my shirt down and began kissing my exposed collar bone, nipping lightly with his teeth. He trailed his mouth up my neck until he reached my lips, kissing me feverishly. I returned the kiss with just as much enthusiasm, my mind going blank for a few moments, relishing the fact that I was being kissed by John again after we had been separated for only a few short weeks that had actually felt like months. I pushed him back and retreated into my seat. He gave me the most adorable pout that had me itching to pull him back to me.

"John, we're in public."

"No one's around, the windows are tinted, please just kiss me."

I obeyed without a moment's thought. I awkwardly climbed over the console and into his lap. It was uncomfortable as hell but I was kissing John again and that was all that mattered. John grabbed my hips until I settled into a position where our groins were pressed together. John was already hard and I was well on my way to being in the same state. I started to roll my hips against John's as best as I could in the position we were in. I could feel John trying to thrust against me, meeting my movements with his own but he couldn't due to the bucket seats. An adorable little growl came out of his mouth and he sat up, pulling me tightly against him, finally finding enough room to move. The kiss we were sharing was heady and I didn't care where we were or who would see until he leaned me backwards and my back hit the steering column, the horn going off. I started laughing and John joined in a few moments later. I kissed him lightly one last time and maneuvered back into my seat with a wry smile.

John started the car and we made our way through Tampa to a gated subdivision. We pulled into a garage that was bigger than the house I grew up in, never mind the gigantic mansion that it was built next to. I laughed quietly at the idea that when I wrestled I barely made back the money to pay for the gas for the trip but John had been made a multi-millionaire in the same sport. Even in my wildest dreams about becoming a successful wrestler my mind never thought that anything like this was possible. John unlocked the front door and I followed him inside. The second the door was closed John pushed me against it and kissed me so hard it bordered on painful but the mix of pleasure and pain only made the kiss more real.

John shoved his hands between our bodies and undid the button on my jeans, pulling them down along with my boxers as he dropped to his knees. The head of my cock disappeared into John's mouth. The suction of his mouth made my eyes fall shut and when he tongued the slit and moaned at the taste of my cum, I could feel the tingling sensation all the way down to my toes. John's mouth sank down further and I felt the slightest scrape of his teeth against my shaft.

"John, fuck, that's so good…"

John moaned again and I felt his hands grip my hips, his nails digging into my skin. John sucked me off roughly, his teeth coming into play every so often, leaving me a trembling, moaning mess. My breath caught in my throat when my cock slid even further into his mouth. I felt his throat constrict for a moment before he swallowed me down completely.

"Fucking hell, don't stop, please, more…"

I looked down to see John's cheeks hollowed out with the effort. I felt his hand slide up my inner thigh, his fingers brushing against my opening. 2 of his fingers pressed inside me. I was unprepared and there was no lube but the feeling of being stretched was visceral and so perfectly painful. When John's fingers brushed against the bundle of nerves deep inside me my entire body jerked.

"Oh, John…" I moaned one last time before I came so hard it left me breathless. I felt John's mouth ease back and when his mouth had left my cock entirely I couldn't help but slide down the back of the door. I felt boneless and my trembling legs could no longer support my body. My eyes finally opened to find John's face close to mine, staring at me with a fiery look in his eyes. I pulled his mouth to mine, my tongue exploring his mouth, feasting on the taste of myself coupled with John's natural flavor. I toppled us both to the ground, pulling off John's pants in a near frenzy. I moved down to return the favor when John's legs locked around my hips, his erection pressing against my pelvis. His hips rolled against mine a few times until I felt John's come splash against my stomach where my shirt had ridden up.

"You were so hot, God, the sounds you were making. How am I supposed to last when just the sound of you saying my name makes me ache," John whispered into my ear. I couldn't stop myself from kissing him if I tried. Our mouths stayed fused together until our kisses tapered off to our lips barely brushing against the other's. We both sat up, laughing almost simultaneously at the fact that we had just gone at in it in the foyer and didn't even bother to get completely undressed.

We gathered up our clothes and I followed John upstairs to his bedroom where we cleaned up and I changed shirts. John's come was drying on the hem of my shirt and I was tempted to keep it on but I changed anyway. John gave me a tour of his gigantic house, pressing me against walls and furniture, kissing me senseless and telling me exactly how he pictured fucking me all over his house. I was ready to lift him up on top of his kitchen table and fuck him right there until something caught my eye. I walked into the living room, going directly to the glass case against the wall. On display were the shiny gold belts that bore John's name. John came up behind me and rested his chin on my shoulder. I lifted my hand to the latch.

"Can I…?"

"Go ahead."

"I opened the glass door and my hands immediately went to the WWE Championship, taking it from the case and holding it in my hands. It had to weigh 15 pounds and it was as gaudy as hell but I stood there stunned at the mere action of holding something that I had always dreamed of having. I turned to John with the belt still in my hands.

"John, I have to tell you something."

"What?"

I looked at John, who was smiling so sunnily and I couldn't get the words out. He deserved the truth. I wanted to tell him, needed to tell him the truth but I kept my mouth shut. If I revealed myself as the worst sort of liar with an entire week stretched out in front of us it would ruin everything. It was a pointless thing that would only cause John pain. I wanted this one last week to be wonderful and I wouldn't let my nagging conscience get in the way of that.

"Nothing…nothing important anyways."

"Do you want to try it on?"

I fumbled with the belt, almost dropping it on the ground. I finally got hold of it and placed it back in the case.

"It's a little too much bling for me."

"That's too bad because I would love to see you wearing my belt…and nothing else."

"Maybe later. Now that you have me here, what are you going to do with me?"

"So many things Phil, so many things."

_AN: Double Update! I cribbed a line at the end from Pretty Woman, which considering the subject matter was bound to happen eventually. The end of this chapter has been in my head since I started writing this and I'm so glad to finally work it in. Hope you enjoyed the updates!_


	10. Chapter 10

John insisted on cooking for me later that night. No one had ever done that for me before, obviously, but it made everything seem comfortably domestic. John and I were still sitting at the counter with our empty plates beside us when his cell phone started ringing. John took his phone out and looked at the screen.

"I'm so sorry, it's work. I have to take this."

I just nodded as John walked into the other room to take the call. I sat there for a few minutes; waiting for John to come back but it looked like that the phone call was turning out to be a long one. I grabbed a pen that was lying on the counter and spread out my napkin, sketching random things while I waited for John to return. I wasn't about to go roaming around John's house on my own. I was on my third napkin when John came back.

"Sorry, that took longer…hey, those are really good," John said, picking up one of the napkins before I could snatch it away.

"Not really."

"No, they are."

"I guess since I'm pretending to be in art school I should have something to show for it."

"Art school?"

"It's what I told my family and friends when I moved to New York. I actually was taking some classes in Chicago before I had to leave."

"Had to?"

"One of my sister's exes turned out to be one of my appointments. When I no-showed he got pissed and told my sister everything. It was either quit or leave Chicago. I chose to leave."

"Maybe you should really go to art school."

"I'm considering it. I'm putting together a portfolio and filling out the application for admission to The School of Visual Arts. I was only a part-time student in Chicago and only audited classes that interested me. At SVA I would be a full-time student working towards a BFA. I would have to take the required courses in things like science and math and hope like hell that I've gained some level of maturity since high school and won't screw it all up because it doesn't hold my attention. Some of the professors are famous comic book authors that I would kill to meet, not even taking into account that I would be learning directly from them. I'm hoping they accept me as a transfer student because otherwise I would have to take the SAT's and I would be screwed. Hopefully my portfolio and recommendations from my professors in Chicago will be enough."

"So you're planning on staying in New York long term?" John asked me with a frown.

"Of course, where else would I go?" I said, confused at John's reaction.

"Would you mind if we watched a little wrestling?"

"Whatever you want, I'm all yours."

"Yes you are. I like to re-watch my matches to see if there's anything I could do better. It'll only be about twenty minutes."

John and I went into the living room and I sat down on the couch, John laying the length of the couch, his head pillowed on my thigh. He queued the DVR up and we watched as John took on Chris Jericho. There were so many things that I wanted to say as John explained what we were watching as if I knew nothing about professional wrestling.

"That looks like it hurts," I said lamely as I watched John struggle to the ropes after being trapped in the Walls of Jericho.

"Wanna see?"

"Uh…"

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"Being twisted up like a pretzel doesn't look like fun."

John stood up and pulled me up and led me over to a bare patch of carpet.

"Lay down on your stomach."

"John, I really don't think…"

I looked over my shoulder and John already had his back to me, grabbing my shins. I braced myself for the screaming pain when he torqued my knee but it didn't come. I could feel the pull in my thighs and the pressure on my lower back but there wasn't even the slightest twinge in my knee. My mind flashed back to Colt and how we used to screw around by putting each other in famous submission holds like the figure four or the Sharpshooter and find creative ways of countering the moves. I twisted onto my side, locked my legs and twisted my lower body, sending John into a half somersault, launching him across the floor. I jumped up and straddled John's hips, holding his shoulders down with my hands.

"1-2-3, I win," I said with a wide smile, leaning down to kiss John full on the lips. I pulled back and beamed at John, the happy shock of my knee not hurting while doing something I thought I would never get to do again.

"How did you do that? I've never seen that before."

"Maybe I'm a natural?" I said with a shocked tone. "I'll be right back," I said quickly, practically running to John's bathroom and locking the door behind me. I sat down on the edge of the tub and stared at the faded scars on my knee for a few minutes. When John had put that move on me it was supposed to cause searing pain but all I had felt was the stretch of my seldom used muscles. I had blown off physical therapy after my surgery. I had tried to push myself in the months after surgery but always ended up laid up on the sofa, unable to even walk without pain. I had never really pushed my body after that, what was the use, really?

I stood up, doing a few deep squats without any pain. I turned to face the bathtub and jumped up, clearing the walls of the tub and landing on my feet on the edge without even the slightest wobble. It wasn't exactly a leap to the top rope but it was definitely in range of the middle turnbuckle. I wanted to bolt out the room, through the front door and run until my diminished stamina gave out but I couldn't. I couldn't share my elation with John who had no idea about my injury. I took my phone out of my pocket and called the only person who would understand completely. I waited for the call to connect and didn't give the chance to even say hello.

"Colt! My knee!"

"Punk, oh god, did you reinjure yourself?"

"Just the opposite. I think it's healed or something."

"Do I even want to know how you figured that one out?"

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't hurt at all."

"You should go to the doctor, get an MRI and find out for sure that something's changed."

"I'm out of town right now, but the second I get back I'll make an appointment; probably after I run until I can't breathe."

"I would tell you what a stupid idea that is but I know you won't listen to a word I say. Just try to keep the miles in the single digit range."

"I make no promises."

"Phil, are you okay?" I heard John call through the door, knocking lightly.

"Who's that?" Colt asked with a laugh. "He sounds particularly eager."

"I'm…I guess you could say…it's someone I'm seeing. I'm staying with him for the week."

"That sounds awfully serious, especially for you."

"It's an odd situation. I can't really explain what's going on, not yet."

"I'll let you get back to him then. Call me after your appointment."

"You'll be my first call. Bye."

I looked in the mirror as I made my way to the door and caught sight of the wide and unbelieving smile on my face. If my knee was truly healed it would change everything. I threw the door open and wrapped my arms around John, kissing him squarely on the mouth.

"What was that all about? I thought you had decided to move into my bathroom."

"Maybe I just wanted to give you time to come to terms with your loss without me gloating at my ability to take you down."

"You got lucky."

"Luck is for losers."

"Luck is for…wait; I've heard that before..."

"I didn't patent the phrase," I said with forced lightness, knowing exactly who he would have heard that saying from. This was the moment when I should tell John everything but I stayed silent. We had these last few days together and I didn't want to ruin it by confessing to be a liar of grand proportions. What would be his reaction? Would he be mad at being lied to and made a fool of? Even worse, I couldn't stand to see pity in his eyes at my broken dreams, the lack of a glass case with shiny belts that I would never have.

My eyes frantically looked around the house, looking for some sort of escape and stopping when they landed on the glass door that led to his patio and out to his pool. I took off, shedding clothes as I headed out the door, John following at a more sedate pace. I hit the water, water splashing everywhere. When I surfaced I saw John standing at the edge of the pool, half dressed and drenched from the spray. When my eyes took in the pool area they focused in on the diving board at the end of the pool. I swam at full speed to the deep end, levering myself out of the water and climbed onto the diving board. I ran to the edge, turning at the very end and hitting a moonsault, as crooked as it ever had been. When I broke the plane of the water, I couldn't help but smile. It felt as natural as it ever did. I turned to face John who was looking at me like I had lost my mind.

"You could have broken your neck with that stunt, Phil."

"I'm feeling particularly acrobatic."

"Acrobatic? That sounds very promising."

_AN: I know it's been ages since I updated last but I'm trying to get back to writing again. You'll have to wait for the next chapter for my favorite smut, pool sex, but I hope you enjoyed the little plot twist!_


	11. Chapter 11

John still seemed a little shocked at the crazy diving board crooked moonsault but his expression softened when I gave him a wide smile which was definitely not an expression that frequented my face. John rewarded me with his dazzling smile and quickly stripped out of his clothes, jumping into the water and swimming out to meet me. I pulled him to my body, wrapping my arms and legs around him. John pulled me even closer and my hands moved to his face, pulling his mouth to mine and kissing him deeply, rolling my hips so that our cocks slid wetly between our stomachs. I felt so happy in the moment that I started laughing while John tried to kiss me. John pulled back and just stared at me.

"I've never seen you smile or laugh like that before. You should do it more. You're gorgeous when you smile like that. I'm not self-absorbed enough to think that smile is just for me, but God, do I want it to be…" John said, his smile dimming a little.

"John, look at me," I said quietly, angling John's face so that we were looking into each other's eyes. "You do make me happy."

"Do I really?"

"You do. Kiss me, please."

John's sunny smile came back and he kissed me deeply, his hands running down my back until he grabbed two handfuls of my ass. I rolled my hips against his and felt one of his hands slide down farther still, two of his fingers plunging into my entrance, stretching me gently. His fingers found my prostate, my mouth leaving John's to moan at the sensations he was creating throughout my body, all my nerve endings on fire. John's fingers left my body and I keened at their absence. John backed me up against the wall of the pool. I wrapped my arms and legs around him again, pulling his body as close to mine as was possible. I felt John's hand smooth down my back and his fingers circle my entrance briefly before his cock nudged at my opening, sliding in slightly. I was so worked up that it took a few seconds to realize what was happening. I pushed John away hastily, his cock sliding out of my body.

"Are you crazy!"

"Phil…"

"You can't do that John!"

"I just want to feel you around me without anything in the way."

"You can't have that. You know you can't. I'm a prostitute, a wh…"

"Don't call yourself that. That's not what you are to me."

"That doesn't change reality. It's a condom or nothing."

"Phil, please…"

"No."

"This isn't fair!" John yelled, raking his hands over his face. John swam to the edge and levered himself out of the pool, pulling his clothes on over his wet body and storming inside. I pulled my clothes on and followed him into the house. John rounded on me and grabbed me by my biceps, shaking me roughly.

"This isn't fair! I want you, all of you. I would drain my bank account of every last cent just to be with you but that isn't how I want you. I want you to be mine. I want you to be with me because you want to, not because I'm paying you. Do you even care about me at all?"

"John, you know I do. I know I shouldn't but I do," I said quietly. John's hands relaxed and the slightly painful grip he had on my biceps ceased. John pulled me into his arms and buried his head against my neck.

"Stop. Please, stop. You can stay here. I'll take care of you, I promise," John said, his voice muffled against my skin.

I tried to shove John away but his arms were clenched around me too tightly.

"What am I supposed to be? Your kept boy!" I yelled out. "How would that be any different from what we have now?"

"You would be mine, only mine," John said mournfully. I could feel the wetness of his tears sliding down my neck.

I finally managed to loosen the hold John had on me and stepped back out of his arms. My heart squeezed painfully in my chest at the sight of tears streaming down his face.

"I think I should probably leave," I said, bolting for the stairs to grab my things out of John's bedroom. I could hear him behind me giving chase. I made it to his room and grabbed my still packed suitcase, only for John to wrench it from my hands and throw it across the room, hitting the wall and taking a bit a plaster with it. I turned around and John tackled me to the bed, pinning my arms over my head. He tried to kiss me but I turned my face away.

"I want you to kiss me. You're supposed to do whatever I want" John said forcefully, his fingers biting into the skin of my wrists.

"Stop, please…" I whispered. John finally looked into my eyes and leaped off my body, turning his back to me, his face buried in his hands. I could see his shoulders shaking and I reached out to touch his back, John jerking his body away as soon as my hand made contact.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" John forced out, his breath hitching with every syllable.

I looked at my bag lying against the wall. I could grab it and run and I know John wouldn't make a move to stop me, not after what had just happened. I hesitated for a few moments and then slid my body behind John's, wrapping my arm around his waist and resting my head against his shoulder blade.

"It's okay."

"I hurt you."

"You didn't. I'm fine, I promise."

"Sometimes I think about what it would be like if we just met on the street somewhere like normal people," John said quietly.

"I think about that sometimes too," I whispered against his skin.

"You do?"

"I do, but it's just a fantasy. Nothing can change my past, what I am."

I could feel John start to relax as his breath evened out.

"Let's just go to sleep. Forget this ever happened. We have the rest of the week to be together, let's make it a perfect few days," I said as soothingly as possible.

John turned to face me and I pulled him down to the bed, John's body molding itself against my back. I forced my breath to even out and relaxed against John's body. We stayed that way for a while.

"Phil…" I felt John murmur against my neck but I didn't respond, feigning sleep. I couldn't bear to speak right now, hoping that when I woke up everything would be back to that perfect moment when we saw each other for the first time at the airport.

"Phil…I love you," John said softly.

A tear spilled down my cheek but I didn't show any indication that I had heard him. I had a few short days to spend with the man that I had fallen in love with. A man that I would never see again after our week together was over.

_AN: This chapter is dedicated to my Twitter girls HeartDeNijs and luvcmpunk314 who gently poked at me until I felt honor bound to give this writing thing another go-round. It wasn't quite like getting back on a bike so I kept it short. Let's hope I can keep this updating thing going. Hope you guys like the chapter!_


	12. Chapter 12

I woke up the next morning and John was still asleep, he had rolled away from me during the night. When we went to sleep that night I thought we had straightened things out between us, but the space between us showed that was not the case. I still felt the urge to bolt but that would just hurt John which I wanted avoid at all costs until we went our separate ways at the end of the week. After our week was over I would never see John again. I knew this would hurt us both, especially after hearing what John said to me last night when he thought I was sleeping, but the truth of our argument was still there between us. John was paying me to be with him and nothing could change that fact. I had been so upset last night that I didn't even think about the revelation about my knee. I slid out of bed and pulled on some clothes and my sneakers. I needed to clear my head as much as possible and a run sounded like a good way to do that. I considered running around the neighborhood, but if John woke up and I was gone from the house we would end up right where we left off last night. I roamed around the house, knowing John would have a gym somewhere. I finally found it, the free weights well-used and a treadmill in a corner that seemed to be collecting dust.

I started running, just staring into space, trying not to think about what would happen when John woke up. I almost fell off the treadmill when I heard John yell my name from the hallway. When he entered the room I could tell from the panicked look in John's eyes that he thought I had left. John calmed down immediately and came to stand next to me, not meeting my eyes.

"How long have you been at it?"

"Uh, eleven miles…" I said, looking down at the screen in shock. I hadn't even felt the slightest twinge in my knee.

"Are you going to be much longer?"

"A couple more miles."

"I might as well work out with you."

I turned another four miles with barely any memory of doing so. The room was silent except for the whir of the treadmill and the metallic sound of weights clinking together. Neither of us made any attempt at conversation. I knew that sex couldn't solve the problems between us but it might take some of the sting out of last night's fight. It helped that the sight of John working out was mesmerizing and not doing much for my coordination, a light sheen of sweat glistening on his skin. I stepped off the treadmill and approached John, waiting for him to finish his set. I stepped behind him, wrapping my arms around his middle and licking a stripe of skin on the back of his neck, the salty taste making my mouth water. John obviously didn't feel the same way as he stepped forward out of my arms and headed for the door.

"I'm going to go take a quick shower," John said as he walked out the door. It didn't escape my notice that John didn't invite me to join him. I took a shower after John was finished and found him in the living room, mindlessly watching the morning news.

"Are you hungry?" John asked quietly.

"I could eat," I replied, standing to follow John into the kitchen, but he walked into the foyer instead, grabbing his keys and heading for the door. He didn't even look behind him to see if I was following. We walked into the garage and I stood next to the red sports car that John had picked me up in last night but John walked to a SUV instead. I could see John look longingly at the car, his thoughts dwelling on the same thing as mine when I crawled into the driver's seat and kissed him silly after being parted for two weeks. John drove us to a crowded local diner. John and I didn't speak except for the minimum conversation about passing the sugar and the like. I could tell that John had chosen this restaurant knowing that any personal conversation could not be had surrounded by a place full of people.

It was more of the same when we returned to his house, John taking a seat and turning on the television. It was obvious his mind was somewhere else due to the TV staying on the same channel as when we had left that was now showing a cooking show. I sat next to John on the sofa, our bodies barely touching. I watched as John incrementally scooted farther and farther away from me until he was as far away as the couch would allow. I sat in the middle of the couch for a few moments until I migrated to the other end of the sofa. What seemed like an insurmountable space had grown between us. I almost jumped when John said my name.

"Phil, I need to run an errand. Would you mind if I left you here on your own for a little while?"

"It's fine. Can I borrow your computer while you're gone?"

"Sure. I'll just got get it for you."

John left me with his laptop. When the front door closed I walked to the windows in the foyer and watched as John got in the red sports car and drove away. I started up the computer and found the number for Dr. Compton in Chicago that I had seen a few times after my injury. I spoke to one of his nurses that said I would need another MRI on my knee so that the doctor could compare the film that they still had on file but they were pretty booked up for the next couple of days. I waited for them to call me back. They had managed to fit me in late Friday afternoon. I was supposed to stay at John's until Saturday morning but I knew I couldn't bear much more of this space between us and rescheduled my flight so that I would leave on Friday morning.

John finally returned with an envelope under his arm that he left on a side table in the foyer. We again went out again for lunch and dinner. I could tell that John had something to say but was holding back. When we got home from dinner I walked to the kitchen to get a bottle of water and realized why John was avoiding the kitchen. The pool where everything had started to fall apart was in clear view through the patio doors. It was getting late and I followed John to his bedroom, watching as he grabbed the envelope from the hallway before he ascended the stairs. We both stripped down to our boxers and lay in the bed, both of us on our backs, not touching. I almost jumped when John reached out to grab my hand, turning on the light on the bedside table, the soft light filling the room. John sat up and met my eyes for the first time that day.

"I'm sorry for what I did and said last night. I should have asked you a question instead of just demanding you do what I want, not even thinking about what you might want, so I'll say what I should have said now. I would be so happy if you would consider quitting your job and staying here with me in Tampa."

"You're never in Tampa. What the hell would I do here when you're jet-setting around the globe?"

"This," John said simply, handing me the envelope that had been sitting on the foyer table all day. I emptied the envelope and found folders bearing the name of the Art Institute of Tampa, the University of South Florida and the University of Tampa.

"They're not as fancy as your school in New York but I know, with your talent, that wherever you go to school you could make a career for yourself. I think you could like Tampa if you gave it a chance and I would be home as much as I could so we could be together. I don't care if I have to charter flights and only be here for a night. We would be together, we could be happy, I know we can. When you have breaks from school you could travel with me on the road."

"How would you explain that you had a guy traveling with you, much less living in your house? They would crucify you."

"I don't care. I have a glass case downstairs with multiple world championship belts. They're just metal and leather. They're possessions and could never mean more to me than you do. If they fire me, if they treat me like shit I won't care. I have enough money to live on the rest of my life and if my career ended I would still have you here, waiting at home for me. Please say yes."

I wanted to say yes. I wanted to throw myself into his arms and leave my life as a prostitute behind me but I didn't. Having a real relationship with John was a fantasy that could never go as John planned. If John's career ended over just being with me I know it would slowly eat away at our relationship until all that was left was pain and regret. I could just agree with him in the moment to make him happy, knowing that when I left on Thursday my promise would mean nothing and I would never see him again.

"Can I at least think about it for a little while?"

"Will you really?"

"I will."

John threw himself at me, his body lying along the length of mine, his lips seeking any skin within reach of his mouth. He anchored his hands in my long hair as his lips sought out the sensitive patch of skin behind my ear.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your long hair? Sometimes all I can think about is sinking my hands in it and holding on to you as tight as possible. I love these too," John said, his lips trailing down my chest and his fingers dancing over my arms, caressing the bright colors of my tattoos. "I'll never forget the first time I saw them. I thought you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. In that moment it didn't matter that I was paying for the privilege, I just wanted you to be mine."

"Yeah, until I opened my mouth and acted like a complete ass to you."

"That's how I knew you cared, even just a little bit. You would never treat another customer like that, would you?"

"You're right. If I acted like that to any of my other clients I would have a pretty empty calendar."

"I would say that I hope you start treating all your other clients like that but I hope that there aren't any more. I want to be the only one you turn your smart mouth on for the rest of your life."

John lowered his mouth back to my body, sliding down to kiss and nibble at my hip bones. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I let the fantasy of doing all that John asked overtake me. For this one moment I wanted to know what it felt like to give my body to someone that loved me, not someone that paid me. When I felt his warm mouth close around my cock I rose up on my elbows, not wanting to miss John worshiping me like no one would probably ever do again. I couldn't help the breathless moans that came out of my mouth at the sight of John's mouth sliding up and down my cock, his cheeks hollowing out at the effort. John was giving me everything he had but I wanted so much more. I lifted his hand to my mouth, sucking his fingers into my mouth, making them slick with my saliva. I released his fingers from my mouth and John immediately found my entrance, pressing in slowly, the delicious feeling of John stretching me.

His mouth slid off my cock and he spread my legs wider, opening me up for him, his tongue and mouth caressing my balls. I started to breathe even faster when his mouth went lower still. When his tongue circled my opening I could do nothing more than moan.

"John, fuck, more, give me more…"

His tongue breached my entrance, his thumbs stretching me open even wider so that his tongue slid deep inside, stroking my grasping channel. The pleasure was so intense that I could barely breathe but there was so much more than I wanted from him. My hands moved down to grasp his head in my hands, pulling him up my body until his lips met mine, his tongue working me over as enticingly as he had between my legs.

"John, fuck me, please…"

"No."

"Wha…"

"I'm not going to fuck you; I'm going to make love to you."

When I felt his unsheathed cock enter me I didn't make a move to stop him. I had always been very careful with my clients and I wanted to let John have what he wanted so badly, just this once. His hands ran down my legs from hip to knee, wrapping my legs around his waist.

"You have the most luscious thighs I've ever seen in my life. There's no place I'd rather be than having them wrapped around me."

John began to move in me, pulling almost all the way out and plunging back in slow and deep. This was nothing like the frenzied fucks that John and I usually shared but the unhurried pace was more intense than anything I had ever experienced before.

"Oh, John, John," I moaned out when John brushed against my prostate, making me see stars. John continued at that angle, making me tremble beneath him. I could feel my muscles clenching, signaling that I was close to coming completely undone and it took all my willpower to stave off my orgasm because I didn't want this moment between us to end. John ceased all movement and stayed buried to the hilt in me. I tried to roll my hips against his to continue the bliss John was creating but his weight pinned me to the bed, unable to move. John palmed my face and tilted my head so that we were staring each other in the eyes.

"You look so beautiful this way, your hair a tangled mess, the sweat on your skin, the feeling of your heartbeat fluttering against my chest. You look completely wrecked and it's all because of me. I want to be the only one to make you look this way, to know that you're mine, only mine. Don't close your eyes, I want to see my reflection there when I make you come."

John began to move again, his pace quickening. It was a level of sublime pleasure that I knew only John could create. The sensation was too much and my body rebelled against my will, coming between us without John ever touching my cock. The smile that suffused John's face was absolutely wicked. John leaned down to lick the shell of my ear and murmured in my ear, "Has that ever happened before?"

"No. Never," I said in shock.

"You're mine and now you know it. I'm the only one that can make you feel this way," John said softly, wrapping his arm around my back, lifting me up so I was straddling his lap, his cock still buried deeply. My hips rose and fell, John's hands guiding my movements. I could feel myself starting to get hard again. John's hips moved in counterpoint to mine. I felt his hands clamp down around my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh. He urged me on to a faster pace. I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing our mouths together. I clenched my muscles around him, pulling back from our kiss to watch John's eyes flutter closed.

"Phil, so good…"

John's eyes opened and his hand closed around my cock. I initiated a brutal pace. John's arms tightened around me and I felt him come deep inside me, triggering my second orgasm. We held onto each other as our breathing slowed down and our bodies relaxed. John lowered me to the bed and wrapped his body around mine like a vise.

"Phil, I lo…"

I put my fingers over John's lips and shook my head. John looked hurt for a moment until I smiled at him.

"When I say it first you can say it back."

John kissed the fingers I had over his lips softly. I entwined our fingers together and wrapped his arm tighter around my waist. I could make this real by just saying three words.

_AN: I'm starting to feel the writing bug grabbing hold of me again. I'm determined to see this story out to the end no matter what. Hope you guys liked the drama because this was truly an angst fest._


	13. Chapter 13

When we woke up the next morning I told John that I had changed my flight and would be leaving a day early.

"Why are you going back to New York early?" John said, a note of distressed suspicion in his voice.

"I'm not going to New York. I'm going home to Chicago. There's something I have to take care of at home. I'm sorry that I freaked out and changed my flight but I can't change it again. You were just acting so cold yesterday and I couldn't bear it."

"I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I just knew I had to come up with some plan to entice you to stay in Tampa. I can't think straight when you're so close to me and I needed to come up with something brilliant. Have you made your decision yet?"

"When was I supposed to do that? When you were making my brain short circuit last night or when I was sleeping?"

"Just checking," John said with a smile.

We made our way back to the kitchen and John cooked us breakfast. While he was cooking I grabbed a napkin and drew a particularly provoking picture of us together. John gave me a sly smile and pinned it to the refrigerator. I didn't get much of a chance to enjoy the meal John had prepared because he grabbed me, bent me over the table and took me right there in the kitchen. Our last day together was more of the same, John taking every opportunity to have me in as many rooms of his mansion as possible.

I had been asked many times in my career for videotapes or pictures of me with my clients but had always refused those requests no matter the payment that would go along with it. John's hand seemed to be attached to his phone, taking pictures of me innocently reclining on the sofa and a few pictures that were a lot more risqué. It probably wasn't a good idea to leave John with tangible memories of our time together but this was our last day to be with each other and I would have given John almost anything he asked for except for the answer to his question. Except for trips to the bathroom we never broke our skin to skin contact for the entire day. When we went to bed that night I almost couldn't hold back my tears as John made love to me with such caring and love.

The next morning John stayed in bed pouting as I gathered up my things and packed them up to go to the airport. John wanted to drive me there but I insisted on taking a cab because I didn't want our last goodbye to be hurried kisses in his car or a fake platonic goodbye before I passed through security. We stood in his foyer wrapped around each other like we would never see each other again, which was the truth but there was no way for John to know this. I would get a few steps closer to the door, then turn around and come back for just one more kiss.

"Have you given any more thought…" John asked, but I cut him off with another kiss.

"Just a little more time."

"Okay. I waited this long for you to come into my life; I guess I could wait just a little longer."

"John, I lo…" I started, John looking at me with imploring eyes, begging me to say those words that he wanted to hear so badly. I just shook my head and dragged myself out the front door to the cab. I turned around as the cab pulled away to see John watching from the open front door. When I couldn't see John anymore I broke into tears. The cab driver must have been a particularly romantic sort because instead of looking at me like I was crazy, he handed me some tissues over the partition. It took everything I had to get on that plane but I finally made it to my seat and spent the flight barely holding myself together.

I checked into a hotel and anxiously waited for the time for my appointment to get my MRI. The state of my knee was the only thing I really had to hold on to after leaving John behind me forever. I would have to wait a few days to get the results. I was completely miserable for the next few days until I could see the doctor. The time finally came and I waited anxiously for the doctor to come into the room. He walked in with a bit of a smile on his face and I knew that he wasn't there to give me bad news.

"I looked over your MRI's after your injury and compared them to the new film. It does look like your knee might be fully healed. I'm going to do an examination to make sure."

Dr. Compton bent and twisted my knee every which way and made me do a few exercises to test the knee to see if there was any pain but everything he put me through didn't distress my knee in the slightest.

"Everything looks good."

"Why did it take so long to heal?"

"It's actually fairly common for injuries like yours. Sometimes modern medicine is no match for nature."

"Can I go back to wrestling?"

"I suggest you wait a little while before going full out but I don't see a reason why you shouldn't be able to. Try to keep it light to start off and keep off the top rope for a while. I don't want to see you back in my office because you reinjured yourself doing something extreme. Have you been working it out at all?"

"I've been running a little but not much more than that."

"That seems like a good way to ease back into things and put your knee to the test. I'd like to see you back in about three months no matter what but if there's any pain please do not ignore it and come back into the office as soon as possible. From your chart I see that you stopped showing up for appointments after your injury. Try not to do that again."

"I'll be here Doc, I promise."

I left the office and tried to completely focus on the single bright spot in my life at the moment. I had been ignoring John's phone calls for the past few days; both on my personal line and my work line. I scheduled a flight back to New York and the first thing I did was make a call to Madeline and ask to meet with her. When I entered the café and Madeline got a look at me I could tell she knew something was wrong. I sat down across from her and slid my work phone across the table.

"I just can't do this anymore. I'm sorry, but I have to quit."

"I knew that from the look on your face when you walked in the door. Do you mind if I asked you why?"

"It's…it's because…"

"John…am I right?"

"You are."

"He called me a few times to find out if I knew where you were. He sounded pretty upset. Can I give you a piece of advice? I may be a hard headed business woman but I'm not cold hearted. Sometimes love finds you in the oddest of circumstances. Don't throw it away with both hands because it may never come again. If you give me a little time I can run to the bank and get your cut for the week you spent with John."

"You can keep it all. I don't want a cent of it. I'm moving back to Chicago soon. Would you mind if I took a few days to move out of the apartment?"

"Take all the time that you need. I'm going to miss working with you Phil."

"It was one hell of a ride but it's time for it to come to an end."

We both stood up from the table and Madeline surprised me when she gave me a light hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Good luck and don't forget what I said," and Madeline turned and walked out of the café.

I headed home, stopping at the phone store to change my personal number to avoid the temptation of picking up the phone when John called. I texted my new number to my contact list, making sure that John's name was not among them. I aimlessly walked the streets of New York when I passed a barber shop. I stood in front of the store front for half an hour, trying to decide what to do. I finally gathered my resolve and walked into the shop. I left with the hair that John loved so much shorn off. I had to make a break with everything John related and this seemed like the necessary next step after changing my phone number. After that I picked up a few boxes. There wasn't really much that actually belonged to me in the apartment so I would be able to ship it all home without having to use a moving company. I had just started to pack up my clothes when there was a knock on the door. It didn't take a genius to know who was on the other side of that door. I froze and considered just pretending that I wasn't home, but John's knocking was so insistent that my body practically ran to the door without any input from my brain. I opened up the door and John stormed into the room.

"What the hell Phil! I've been calling and calling. I even called Madeline and she wouldn't tell me anything."

"That's because I don't work for Madeline anymore."

John finally turned around to look at me. He ran over to me and practically knocked me to the ground with the force of his hug. He rained kisses all over my face but stopped when his hands moved to my head. He pulled back and stared at my short hair in shock.

"What happened to your hair?"

"I cut it all off."

"Why? I loved your long hair."

"I'm starting a new life and I figured a new look was a good first step. Do you hate it?"

"I don't care if you bleached it blonde or shaved your head bald."

John looked around and saw the luggage and all my clothes spread over the bed and the boxes propped up against the wall in the living room.

"Does all this mean that you've made your decision?"

"I…I have…" I trailed off. The truth of it was that I had made a decision. I was moving back to Chicago but one look at John and I knew that Chicago was the last place I was going to end up. It had taken all my resolve to leave John behind me but seeing him here now I knew that it hadn't been even near enough to break away from him. "Are you sure about this John? I can't promise that my past will stay a secret forever. Your career isn't the only thing on the line. What if your friends and family found out? It would ruin your life."

"The only thing that could ruin my life would be to live it without you. Say you'll come to Tampa. Say you'll stay with me."

"I will. I'll move to Tampa to be with you. That huge house will be lonely with you on the road so much but I'll have art school to keep me busy," I said, my feelings so mixed that I was sure you could see the turmoil of my thoughts on my face. Tampa meant John and art school but it would close the door on my wrestling career. I would have to tell John about the injury and make up some story that didn't reveal my past in the ring. After finding out that my knee was healed all I had left in my life was the possibility to wrestle again but being with John seemed like a pretty fair trade.

"Phil, do you love me?" John said, his eyes flitting over my face.

"I do, John. I love you."

"I love you so much. You've made me so happy, happier than I've ever been in my life," John murmured against the skin of my neck, holding me close to his body.

John looked into the bedroom and saw my clothes and luggage spread over the bed.

"I'll help you pack," John said excitedly. We managed to clear off the bed in no time at all. John stood before me and began stripping the clothes off my body slowly. When I was completely bare he inclined his head toward the bed. "Get on the bed. Lie on your stomach."

I thought this seemed like an odd request considering the moment we were sharing. John didn't seem to have a preference for taking me from behind, and in a moment like this, not being able to look him in the eye as he took me seemed so impersonal. I did as he asked and turned my head to watch him slip his clothes from his body. John joined me on the bed, kneeling next to my body. John's hands made contact with my skin, caressing the back of my neck. My skin was tingling with every inch of skin that he explored. John turned me over on my back and continued to gently stroke my skin. It was arousing, but not in a sexual way. John was making love to me with only the touch of his hands and it was more intense than any orgasm I had ever experienced.

After John had his fill he laid down next to me. I turned on my side so that we were staring into each other's eyes. I placed my hand over John's heart and slowly slid my fingers down his chest and abs. My hand moved even lower until John caught my hand in his, bringing my hand up to his mouth, kissing the tips of my fingers.

"Not tonight, not here. I want our first time together as a couple to be in our home in Tampa, not here in this apartment, no matter how many good memories I have of this place."

John entangled our limbs until we were pressed close together. We shared a few soft kisses until we both succumbed to sleep.

_AN: First off, I apologize for any anomalies during the visit to the Dr.'s office. I have zero medical knowledge, so just go with me and take it as it is. I know this chapter was pretty fluffy, but we all need some fluff in our lives now and then. Hope you enjoyed the update!_


	14. Chapter 14

I woke up the next morning to find sunlight streaming through the windows. I had obviously slept later than usual. It wasn't really surprising considering all the stress, indecision and regret about what to do about John had been lifted off my shoulders. I turned over to see the only man that I had ever loved but I was only greeted by a sharp stab of pain in my side. John was gone and spread over the side of the bed he had slept in were picture frames spread all over the bed. I immediately recognized them as the pictures that were hung in my private living room. My eye caught one empty frame; a frame that had held a picture of Colt and I still in our gear after one of our matches. I grabbed my phone and immediately called John only to get his voicemail. I called him repeatedly over the next few hours while walking through the apartment and finding that at some point John had started packing the rest of my things; all the boxes bearing John's Tampa address.

The phone rang and I ran across the room to answer it only for the screen to show Colt as the caller.

"Colt, it's a really bad time. Can I call you back?"

"Sure. When you do I'd love an explanation why I was accosted this afternoon by John Cena, waving around a picture of you and me. You might also be able to tell me why he was calling you Phil."

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothing, even though I think I was risking my life by keeping quiet. I've never seen Cena look that undone, and that's saying something considering where we work. What in the living hell is going on Punk?"

"John and I are…were together…"

"John Cena is gay? I guess you never can tell, though I imagine he's kept it quiet because of what might happen here in the WWE if anyone found out. I can't even begin to figure out how you two even got together."

"It's a very, long complicated story and not something that I can tell you over the phone. Next time we see each other in person I'll tell you the whole truth and just hope that you'll still be my friend when you've heard what I have to say."

"We've been friends through a lot. I don't know what you could possibly have gotten up to that you don't think I would understand. What do you want me to do about Cena?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Oh God, what?"

"He's not answering my calls. Can you take him your phone and see if he'll talk to me?"

"That I can do. I thought you were going to ask me to slip him a note asking him to check yes or no if he likes you."

"Ha ha. You're hilarious."

"Sorry. I'll go to his locker room."

I could hear noises from backstage as Colt walked to John's locker room.

"John…" I heard Colt say, followed up by a loud bang. "He slammed the door in my face. What the hell did you do to him?"

"I've been lying to him for months, right from the start actually. I never told him that I used to be a wrestler."

"This is getting even more confusing. If you guys didn't meet through wrestling how in the world did you two even…"

"I have to go Colt," I choked out, ending the call with Colt in mid-sentence. John didn't want anything to do with me. I stayed in New York for a few days, hoping that John would show up but he never did. John had my new number because I called him constantly but he never picked up his phone. I had ruined what was probably the best thing that would ever happen in my life and I couldn't help but cry when I ripped off the address labels on my boxes and replaced the Tampa address with Colt's in Chicago, who was letting me crash at his place for a while. I spent the first few days back in Chicago miserably pining for John. It wasn't lost on me that for all my talk about cutting John out of my life it was John who had done the severing.

I had nothing but time so the thoughts about what I could have done differently haunted me. I knew I had made the right decision in the beginning. John came to me initially as relief from the stress he was under and he didn't need me acting like some sort of fan boy. The anonymity was exactly what John needed, almost more than the sex. The last thing he needed at the time was being saddled with my story of woe when he was the one that needed an outlet after his loss to the Rock. I should have told him after that but I didn't. Of all the things I did and didn't want John to feel about me at the time, pity was definitely not one of those things. John came to me to escape his day to day life, not to feel guilty every time he looked at me, knowing that he had everything that I would never have. By the time I went to Tampa the time to tell him the truth had come and gone. The lie was too big at that point and there was no way to tell the truth and expect nothing to change between us.

After several more days of moping I found myself on the L headed to Steel Domain. Although it was more of a promotion now than a wrestling school, Ace had no problems letting me practice with his guys. It seemed that even though I had been out of the ring for a handful of years the muscle memory for the moves were still mostly there. I started out wrestling for Steel Domain where I stayed for a few months until Ace arranged to get me a try out at Ring of Honor. I had wrestled there briefly and it was the promotion that was witness to the end of my career, or so I thought at the time. I had no expectations of picking up where I left off. I knew I would have to prove myself all over again and I wouldn't have it any other way.

In the years that I had been away ROH had changed drastically. Gabe was gone along with the majority of the bookers and producers I had worked with before. ROH wasn't the only thing that had changed; so had I. Gone was the basketball shorts and the long hair. I now wore trunks and kick pads. I could still cut a vicious promo when needed and it helped that my moods were constantly changeful with my emotions bubbling so close to the surface. I was miserable over the loss of John and it made me pretty bitter. I frequently took my unrest out on the fans but that tapered off when I could sense that the majority of the fans cared more about my performance in the ring than what came out of my mouth.

I settled in at ROH and being back in front of a live crowd was the best antidote for the pain that John's rejection had caused. When I was in the ring everything but my opponents, the moves, and the crowd going crazy around me melted away. I might have been a decade older than some of my opponents but there was still a lot to learn from them and I hoped they saw me the same way. ROH was something of a crazy family that preferred to leave it all out in the ring and not stab each other in the back behind closed doors to the higher-ups. I eventually fought and promo-ed my way into a title match. I lost but just the proximity to a Championship was gratifying after all of the time that had passed. My ambition was all I had left, and while it was fulfilling there were still holes that could only be occupied by John.

My time in ROH made me see that my dream of the WWE was both impossible and unwanted. I realized that I was a professional wrestler and not a sports entertainer. I wanted the freedom to do and say whatever I wanted where in the WWE I would be stifled at every turn. I wanted to wrestle somewhere wins and losses were what you were judged on and not some arbitrary whim of the guys in charge. Secondly, my past as a prostitute would surely out if I was given any serious TV time at WWE. Here in ROH there was far less exposure which made it less likely for my choices to come back and haunt me. This was also Ring of Honor and they might not even care about my sketchy past. Hell, it would probably make me more interesting.

I was wrestling a pretty full schedule with ROH and was going to art school part time. I had everything I could want except John. My busy schedule could sometimes keep the memories at bay but my brain could only tune him out sporadically. I had quit calling John and stopped pumping Colt for news about how John was doing. I was glad that Colt had never found the time to see me and question how John and I had gotten together. I thought I had dodged that bullet until Colt showed up at my apartment.

"I'm listening…" Colt said, throwing himself down and my couch and stretching out like he owned the place.

"What are we supposed to be talking about?"

"You know what. I also have a surprise for you but you won't get it unless you explain how you and Cena got together. My curiosity has been killing me and I considered faking sick a few times and running to Chicago to interrogate you."

"When I moved to New York I wasn't in art school."

"Then what the hell where you doing there?"

"I was a prostitute."

"Seriously, Punk. Were you in jail or something?"

"Colt, I sold sex for money."

"I can't…I don't understand. Why would you do that?"

"After I was injured my life went straight to hell. I needed the money and…"

"If you needed help…"

"Have you ever known me to ask for help when I needed it? It isn't as bad as it sounds. I wasn't working a street corner or anything."

"I can't believe this but I'm not going to go running for the door or anything like that. We've been best friends for a long time and I'm not going to judge you, even if I can't wrap my brain around this quite yet. Wait! That's how you met Cena! Did he…?"

"Yes, he was one of my customers. I disliked him quite a bit at the start but things changed and we finally ended up at the point where I quit my job and was ready to move in with John and then everything went straight to hell in a hand basket. He won't answer my calls. I've tried everything, including using you as my emissary and nothings worked. I'm never getting him back. It's pretty hilarious that he was generous enough to forgive me for selling sex but not for lying to him."

"This is John Cena we're talking about."

"Don't I know it. Now that I've poured my heart out to you, what's my surprise?"

"I showed one of the producers a few clips of matches and promos that you've done in ROH. He expressed some interest and wants to give you a try out. I immediately volunteered to face you, of course. You'll probably end up in Florida Championship Wrestling for a year or so but it's your in to the WWE.

"Thanks a lot for the thought but now that you know my past, you have to realize that I can't go prancing around on worldwide TV and not have my past splashed all over the dirt sheets."

"I didn't think about that. I just wanted the chance to wrestle you again. I'd have you around to make me look awesome day in and day out. I'd be wrestling for the World Championship in no time."

"I'm sorry, I just can't take the chance and I'm truly happy in Ring of Honor. I don't really want more than what I already have, at least where wrestling is concerned."

"There's one more thing. Cena overheard my conversation with the producer and inserted himself into it and went to bat for you, saying you would be a great addition to the WWE."

"How in the fuck am I supposed to take that? He cut me off completely and then all of a sudden he's lobbying to bring me into the same company he works for?"

"Maybe he misses you?"

"And maybe he wants to torture me in person instead of just ignoring my existence."

"Are you interested in trying out now?"

"Actually, I'm even less interested than before. I'm miserable enough without him. The last thing I need is to see him every day. I appreciate the thought, really Colt, but it's just not for me."

"Well, now that's out of the way, why don't we just relax and hang out for the little amount of time that I have off. Wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure, you pick."

"Pretty Woman it is then."

"You're a fucking prick Cabana," I said, truly laughing for the first time in a while.

_AN: This chapter is as transitional as Del Rio's Championship reign. There's a lot of plot going on so the fluff was kept to a minimum. Without my fluff to fall back on this chapter was one of the hardest to write of any story I've ever posted. Hope you enjoy!_


	15. Chapter 15

It had been 3 months since I saw John last. I thought the first month and a half when I tried every which way to get him to speak to me was horrid but after Colt told me that John had spoken up for me to the higher-up's at WWE it was even worse. I would have given anything for a phone call, even if it was John making contact only so he could yell at me. The only outlets I had for knowing anything about John was Monday Night Raw and stalking him on Twitter. When I found out on Raw that John had been injured I could feel my heart twist. I would have given anything to be in Tampa with him, happily waiting on him hand and foot. What pushed me over the edge was the photo he tweeted that showed the horrible bruising on his bicep. I couldn't control myself and picked up my phone. I knew he wouldn't answer but I wanted him to know that I was thinking of him; that I still missed him. I almost dropped my phone when the call connected. All I heard was silence for a few moments.

"John…"

"Phil."

"John, I'm so sorry…"

"Phil, not now."

I regrouped quickly. John didn't want my apologies at the moment but that statement indicated that maybe he would be open to hearing them at some point. The thought flitted through my mind that the only reason he had even picked up the call was because he was on painkillers and not thinking clearly. Straight edge or not, I found that I really didn't care; at least he was speaking to me.

"I saw the photo on Twitter. It looks pretty bad. How are you feeling?"

"Sore. No one likes waking up from anesthesia and hearing that it was worse than they thought after they went in."

"It's going to be fine, right?"

"It's minor compared to other injuries I've had, but that doesn't make it any less depressing."

"I know the feeling."

"I know…Colt said…"

"What did Colt say?"

"Well, he tried to explain what happened when you hurt yourself but I honestly didn't want to hear to hear it at the time. What exactly happened?"

If John was a lesser man I would think he was asking such a painful question just to hurt me or make himself feel better but I knew that wasn't John. From the tone of his voice he sounded like he still cared. Maybe I was fooling myself into hearing what I wanted more than anything but at this point a little delusion was welcome.

"I was on the top rope, lost my footing and fell backwards, hitting the steps on the way down. I tore my ACL and MCL and shattered my patella. When I finally hit the ground I knew my career was over but I didn't want to accept it for a long time. I tried to push myself after surgery but all I did was keep making it worse. It was like my life had ended. I never even thought to make a back-up plan in case wrestling didn't work out. My life was over, or so I thought at the time. There are things more important than wrestling and I know that now."

"Don't try to manipulate me right now. I picked up the phone because I knew you would understand how I'm feeling not to hear you make excuses for the lies you told me."

"John, please…"

"It was a mistake to pick up the phone. I won't be doing it again."

John held to his promise never answered any of my calls after that brief call but he had answered that one time and that was all that mattered. I waited until John was back on Raw, fully healed, before I pleaded with Colt to get me a backstage pass and let me tag along after him. Colt wasn't stupid and knew that hanging out with him wasn't the reason I wanted to be backstage so badly. Another type of person might feel used but Colt was only amused at my antics, watching me search for John in every room we entered. Colt dressed with the rest of the mid-card in a shared locker room. Colt finally set me loose on the arena when he made some bullshit request for a bottle of water. I found catering easily but after retrieving the water I roamed the hallways, reading the names on the private dressing rooms, trying to find John's. Suddenly I felt someone push me through an open door. I smiled, turning around, hoping it was John, but the smile was wiped off my face immediately. I was face to face with Randy Orton.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Hanging out with Colt."

"And you think prowling around the hallway where the private locker rooms are is where you're going to find him? I know what you're up to and if you don't get your ass out of this arena now I'm going to flay you alive."

"I don't have to listen to you, who do you think you are!"

"I'm John's best friend, that's who I am, and I'm not letting you anywhere near him. You're a lying, heartless slut and I want you as far away from him as possible and if I have to send you out of here in an ambulance to keep you away from him I will."

"Maybe he wants to see me."

"In addition to all your dubious accolades you're delusional as well. You would think 3 months of being ignored would get the message through your tiny brain. You're so good at lying you should recognize when you're lying to yourself. He doesn't want anything to do with you and why would he? Your joke of a body is covered in ugly ass tattoos, you look like you put Crisco in your hair and that's just the outside. On the inside you're even uglier. You're a self-serving liar and a whore and I won't let you get within 10 feet of John again. Go back to fucking for money, that seems to be the only thing you're good for."

"Fuck you, Orton!"

Orton pushed me up against the lockers with a crash. Before I could register what was happening his hand was wrapped around my throat, cutting off the air to my lungs.

"I'm going to say this one last time. Get the fuck out of the arena. Nod that you understand."

I just glared at Orton, even as the edges of my vision started to gray out from lack of oxygen. Orton pulled me forward only to slam me back against the lockers, my head bouncing off the steel. I was about to pass out when I heard faint voices and Orton's hand left my throat. I sank to the ground. I looked up to see John shoving Orton and yelling things I couldn't make out, my brain still recovering from being starved of air. I heard the door slam and John crouched down so that we were eye to eye.

"Are you okay Phil?"

"Yeah, I get choked out by psychotic jackasses all the time."

"Randy's just protective."

"If that's his idea of protection it's no wonder you've been single for so long."

"Fuck you, Phi…Punk."

I wanted to slap my hand over my stupid mouth before I said anything more hurtful but the confrontation with Randy had pissed me off to the point that I just lashed out and the only person around had been John. John had given it right back to me when he called me Punk instead of Phil. I couldn't think of anything he could say that would be more painful than that. I had finally gotten to be near John, who seemed pretty pissed that Orton had manhandled me and I immediately fucked that up. At this point I wasn't above begging.

"Don't call me that. I'm Phil when I'm with you, please," I said plaintively but it just seemed to piss John off.

"You're nothing to me. Go back to Cabana."

"I didn't come here to see Colt, I came to see you…to apologize…"

"Apologize, right. You're here to apologize for lying to me for months, for making a fool of me, humiliating me even more than you already have. I gave you everything and all I got in return was lies. Did you think telling me that you love me was going to be your way into the WWE? When I showed up at your door did your start plotting to use me right away?"

"But you helped get me a try out for a spot in WWE."

"I can't help it if I'm still in love with a liar. You've hurt me more than anyone ever has in my life. If all you wanted from me was a chance to wrestle under the bright lights I can't help but try to give it to you, but that doesn't mean I want to ever speak to you again."

I could feel my heart begin to race when I heard John say that he still loved me. All the reasons behind my lying to him were untrue. I had to make him see that I wasn't trying to manipulate him to further my career and John himself had unknowingly given me that opportunity.

"I turned down the try out."

"Why would you do that?" John asked me, dumbfounded confusion coloring his tone.

"I'm perfectly happy at Ring of Honor. WWE was a dream I had when I first started wrestling but after all these years I realized it wasn't for me. I want to be with you, I was so close to trying out just to find a way to be near you but that would just be another lie and I'm done with that. Lying has taken away the thing that I want more than anything. It's cost me you and you have to know how much I regret doing the things I did. Please, just give me another chance."

"How would I ever be able to trust you again?"

"I don't want you to take me back just because you love me. I want you to trust me and if that takes me years to do I'm willing to wait. We can start over. I don't want the money and lies between us. I don't love John Cena the superstar; I love the person you really are away from the cameras. Please give me another chance. I can't promise that I'll always be perfect because the real me is very far from that. If you can't love that person I'll accept that…I just want to hear it from your mouth and I'll leave you alone," I said, practically in tears by the time I finished talking. John didn't say anything for a while but when I looked in his eyes I knew I had reason to hope that he might take me back.

"I did lie, I won't deny it, but it wasn't for the reasons you think. In the beginning I didn't care that you were John Cena. In fact, I wished it had been anyone but you when you showed up at my door. You were too nice, too affectionate and I didn't want any part of it. I knew if I told you the truth you would pity me, treat me like I was some fragile thing with nothing but disappointed hopes and a dream that could never come true. I didn't even know that my knee had finally healed until you put me in the Walls of Jericho. I would be able to wrestle again but when you asked me to quit my job and move in with you I didn't have to think twice about giving up wrestling. I loved you that much."

I had given John the truth, however screwed up that may be. I held my breath and waited for John to respond.

_AN: Sorry for taking so long to update but real life can be quite the bitch sometimes. Even if it takes a while for me to update, I'm going to see this story through to the end. Hope you enjoy!_


End file.
